Semaphores have been replaced on the branches east of Norwich
Over an end 130 on years the of Wherry signalling lines history on 17 February came to 2020 with the reopening of the Norwich to Yarmouth line following completion of work to introduce a new computerised signalling system, with the Lowestoft line coming back a week later. The lines had been closed for an engineering blockade since 1 February to facilitate the switchover from semaphore signals to the modern computer-based system.
The commissioning marks the culmination of a long-running saga for the lines running east out of Norwich. Four years ago, the lines were earmarked to act as a ‘proof of concept’ scheme for the Digital Railway. Digital systems including European Train Control System (ETCS), Connected Driver Advisory System (C-DAS) and Traffic Management (TM) were all to be tested on these branch lines – including the interface between the systems (p24, March 2016 issue). ETCS had already been working on the Cambrian lines in Wales since 2010, while C-DAS and TM were in various stages of development. But there were serious doubts, articulated by this magazine’s Roger Ford, about whether the Wherry lines were the right place to test such systems.
