Network Rail in the UK has completed a trial of real-time train location technology on the Heart of Wales line, aiming to improve operational safety at rural level crossings.
The ‘U-Cross’ system, developed by Universal Signalling, was tested over two weeks earlier this month on an 11-mile segment between Llandeilo and Llandovery, covering 20 user-worked crossings.
The system provides signallers with live data on train positions, allowing them to make quicker decisions when users request to cross the tracks.
User-worked crossings, which are common on rural lines, require individuals such as farmers and landowners to contact the signaller before crossing.
Under current procedures, signallers use information from several sources, which can result in delays for those waiting to cross.
During the trial, U-Beacon Universal Locator Beacons were installed along the track, and Transport for Wales trains were fitted with readers and communications equipment.
The trains automatically transmitted their positions to the signaller when approaching or clearing a crossing. The system’s monitoring capability collected over 400,000 data points for analysis.
Installation was completed in two and a half overnight line blocks, without the need for advance line side design work.
According to the project team, this demonstrated potential efficiency and cost benefits for future signalling renewals and upgrades, as well as improved safety for crossing users.
Universal Signalling CEO Stephen Head said: “U-Cross is the first stepping stone towards our vision for next-generation digital signalling that’s affordable for rural lines. What truly sets this apart is the speed of deployment, which drives down cost to the railway.
“We’ve automated and productionised as much of the process as possible, stripping out much of the cost base. Fitting 11 miles of track in just two and a half overnight possessions, with no prior design work, shows what’s possible with our system.”
The next phase will assess the extension of the technology to the full 96-mile Heart of Wales line, which includes 126 crossings, before considering wider deployment on other rural routes.
The trial was delivered through a collaboration between Universal Signalling, Network Rail Wales & Borders, and Transport for Wales, with co-funding from the Innovation Acceleration Forum.
Network Rail Wales and Borders operations manager Anthony Aldred said: “Managing access to the railway at user-worked crossings is a key part of keeping our network safe for the people and communities who rely on it.
“In rural areas, where signallers rely on information from multiple sources, U-Cross gives them a clear, instant view of train locations and visual confirmation of whether a crossing is safe to use, while defaulting to established procedures if a fault is detected.”
The U-Cross system was first demonstrated at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence in Onllwyn, South Wales last year, and has since been identified as a potential development for rural rail operations.
