Proceedings 2002/2003 - IRSE

50
SIGNALLING CONTROL CENTRES TODAY AND TOMORROW
Signalling Control IECC name or area No of No of First Trains/
Centre name of control signallers interlockings commissioned day (iv)
SSI Relay
Ashford A – (Tonbridge) 3 10 1 (ii) May 1993 1327
B – (Ashford) 2 9 November 1992 724
Liverpool Street A – Liverpool Street 3 6 March 1989 1348
B – Stratford 2 8 August 1996 1608
C – Shenfield 2 12 April 1991 908
D – West Anglia (i) 2 10 January 2002 451
Marylebone Chilterns 2 6 January 1991 347
Sandhills Merseyrail 2 7 1 February 1994 752
Slough New Paddington 2 12 March 1993 612
Swindon B (Didcot) 1 4 February 1994 393
Tyneside Central 2 7 January 1991 535
Peripheral 2 8 1 May 1990 542
Upminster A (LTS Main) 2 10 September 1994 637
B (LTS Loop) 1 6 April 1996 463
Wimbledon ARS only 5(iii) January 1990 1319
Yoker (North Clydeside) 2 5 1 October 1989 419
York 1 – York 2 5 4 May 1989 608
2 – Leeds R&R 3 8 5 December 2000 1208
3 – Leeds NW 2 5 2 March 2002 882
Figure 1: Signalling Centres using IECC
Notes:
(i) Liverpool Street D signaller and interlocking numbers are the planned final size on completion of WARM recreate-signalling.
(ii) Relay interlocking interface for indications only, no route setting.
(iii) IECC is ARS only, works with conventional Panel, uses special interface to relay interlockings.
(iv) Weekday traffic levels in Summer 2002 timetable.
BR Research to be translated into a fully developed
and proven system available as compatible
equipment from two suppliers, and capable of being
applied and maintained by BR’s in-house S&T
engineering design and maintenance departments.
The approach to IECC development was slightly
different, as BR perceived that the key skills that
were needed were more likely to be obtained from a
conventional procurement contract with a software
company (CAP), rather than collaboration with the
established signalling equipment suppliers. In
practice, as with SSI, the system architecture and a
significant part of the software were developed by
BR Research. A prototype ARS had been in revenue
service since 1983, and much of this software was
recreate-used in the full IECC system. This resulted
in the intellectual property rights (IPR) in the IECC
system and its software being owned exclusively by
BR, not shared as in the case of SSI.
CAP (later Sema) supplied the hardware, software,
geographic data and systems integration for all the
early installations of IECC, but in the early 1990s BR
used its ownership of the IPR to involve other
suppliers and its in-house signalling design resource
in data preparation and system integration for some
of the later schemes. After 1992 BR was internally
organised on a much more commercial basis, and
this enabled BR Research to expand from their
traditional role, and undertake complete supply of
the IECC system for the Sandhills signalling control
centre, as sub-contractors to GEC ALSTHOM who
were the main signalling contractor for the
Merseyrail recreate-signalling scheme.
After the split-up and privatisation of British Rail,
Railtrack are the owners of the IPR in the IECC
system. AEA Technology Rail, as successors to BR
Research, are contractors for Railtrack, undertaking
software and hardware development/support. AEA
Technology Rail also undertake application engineering,
installation, testing and upgrades for new
and existing systems. In some senses, the wheel has
turned full circle, with the organisation in which the
IECC concept originated (and many of the same
people) now responsible for all aspects of its
development, delivery and support.
EVOLUTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY
The basic design of IECC is now 15 years old.
Figure 2 shows the system architecture, which has
remained unchanged throughout. This period
corresponds to several generations of computer
technology, and inevitably means that many of the
original components are no longer available.
However the architecture and functionality have
stood the test of time, and progressive upgrading of
the hardware has been possible to ensure that
existing and new systems can be supported into the
future. This has required regular investment by
Railtrack to upgrade software and documentation in
line with new hardware, and to obtain safety
approval and product acceptance for the changes.