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Described as an “historic first” by Hitachi Rail, the company’s European Train Control System (ETCS) was fitted in the Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado, built between 1994 and 2008 to a 1940s design by Arthur Peppercorn.
Designed to enable tests of a modern system in the “complex operational environment” of a train based on 20th-century designs, the work was carried out as part of Network Rail’s East Coast Digital Programme.
ETCS is a digital signalling technology that replaces traditional trackside signals. It works by transmitting movement authorities (permission for a train to move from one point to another) and speed limits directly to the train cab, allowing drivers to operate with greater precision. By enabling real-time communication between trains and infrastructure, ETCS is designed to improve safety, enhance reliability and increase capacity on the rail network.
Dynamic testing on the Cambrian line in Wales was designed to demonstrate how ETCS could perform in a “non-standard, highly complex operational environment”, providing insight into technical feasibility and broader applicability.
“Tornado’s retrofit with our ETCS is a world-first project that has tested our technology in one of the most complex and harsh operating environments, proving heritage and digital systems can coexist without compromise,” said Tank Porteous, mainline signalling programme director at Hitachi Rail UK.
The fitment on the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust train also involved design work from AtkinsRéalis and integration from Network Rail.
“The insights we’ve gained here have created a valuable blueprint for what comes next. Carrying forward the relationships, lessons and technical progress from this work will be essential to maintaining momentum for heritage integrations and wider applications across modern rolling stock,” said Andy Bell, vice-president of Hitachi Rail UK.
A second steam turbogenerator, a new axle-driven alternator and a third battery bank were all added to the locomotive as part of the project, to power the ETCS.
“Steam locomotives are more than just machines, they're living, breathing monuments to British innovation. We had to find creative solutions to integrate modern technology in an environment which is noisy, dusty, hot and exposed – all the while preserving Tornado’s authentic character and enabling operation on the digital railway,” said Alejandro Moreno, AtkinsRéalis market director for rail and transit.
“This world-first project will benefit the entire sector, demonstrating how a collaborative pathfinder approach can solve complex fitment challenges across our evolving railway.”
The project, part of the Railway 200 celebrations marking 200 years of the modern railway, was designed to explore the potential for mainline operations of steam and heritage diesel trains for future generations.
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