SSR Resignalling

And the cause is within the central CBTC kit at HSCC before any data gets to the central CIS kit (also at HSCC). Underlying issue identified yesterday; it needs a Canada fix.

And the stations such as Bow Road, Bromley By Bow, Becontree, are the DMI now announcing the next trains etc? because soon as Whitechapel section went live, the DMI audio kicked it.

It's worth bearing in mind that the project lost the best part of nine months thanks to Covid.

My apologies, must be misremembering something I thought I'd read once. Thanks for the correction.

As you went on to suggest, various dates have been set and missed over the past few years. Resignalling the SSR is a massive project and it was always going to be subject to many strands needing to fall into place just right for the plan to work. The main three elements are physical installation, testing with test train operators and staff training for service control, trains and station staff. There's a lot to co-ordinate in order to achieve just-in-time staff training and implementation of each SMA (Signalling Migration Area).

I'm just a humble driver by my take on it is this.......

I think it's fair to say the choice of tags & aerials over the "traditional" inductive loop cable system has presented challenges that have ended up causing a fair amount of delay to the project. Indeed it was an issue with tags that was responsible for the initial false start and significant delay to the first section going live between Hammersmith & Latimer Road. I'm not suggesting it was the wrong choice to use the tag & aerial system at all. Indeed the inductive cable system used on the Jubilee and Northern lines has been subject to damage on a frequent basis so it absolutely makes sense to remove the problem by using tags and aerials instead. Presumably this is the first time the tag & aerial solution has been used so its perhaps inevitable that there'd be some learning involved in getting it to work as intended.

But the technology isn't entirely to blame. As already acknowledged, Covid caused significant delays. Covid affected many strands of the project - not just the physical installation of the system but testing couldn't take place due to social distancing limitations on train cab access and driver training similarly couldn't take place due to social distance restrictions affecting classroom based training. SMA3 was a particular challenge to introduce on the District line (Stepney Green to Monument) as we'd always provided in cab instructor support and Covid meant that wasn't possible for the District's east end drivers (the west drivers did at least have some experience of the system between Paddington & Edgware Road). There was much union resistance to going live with instructors only supporting drivers by remaining static on platforms; this meant there was much "umming and arring" before the decision was made to go for it. In the end the District line's east end drivers commendably got on with it.

Most of the SSR's signalling migrations have gone live with little in the way of issues being identified but SMA3 did highlight a boundary issue at Monument that could have gone on to impact further SMA's. Thanks to quick identification and a relatively straight forward solution it didn't delay things further. The same cannot be said for SMA5 (Sloane Square - Paddington/Fulham Broadway/Barons Court) which did throw up some issues that have taken time to overcome. Quite rightly the introduction of SMA6 (Stepney Green to Becontree) was delayed whilst fixes where developed and implemented.

Whenever a fix is software based, the new coding has to be written by Thales in Canada then tested on the real railway in London. This can take some time to get right and its absolutely right that the project doesn't plough on regardless leaving a trail of issues that need fixing in its wake. The proof in the pudding is SMA6 (Stepney Green to Becontree) going live last weekend, and aside from an initial issue at Hammersmith control centre which was quickly identified and fixed, no issues with the system have been identified to my knowledge.

I think the saying "slow and steady wins the race" is particularly apt when looking at the introduction of CBTC onto the SSR!

SMA 8 Finchley Road-Preston Road is proposed for 24/25 February 2024

The same mitigation as at every other CBTC boundary location - a red signal and three train stops.

Current maximum speed is 60mph Southbound
Signal A651 would be at danger, signal FR651 would be yellow, signal A653 would be green with associated repeating signal R651 at yellow.
Current maximum speed is 50mph Northbound, the train would be in CBTC.

The first T in TBTC is wiggly wire the first C in CBTC is wifi.

AFAIK trackside wifi antennae require uniform spacing irrespective of traffic level or route distance because wifi has a finite range - this kit is expensive.

Tags are low cost all but throw away mass produced items. Don't tell signals people I said that.

And there are just as many axle counters with CBTC as TBTC.

When would these areas go live? Probably a long time away but would it be before SMA8?

DStock 7080 posted that SMA8 was due in 2024.

Also 7-10 April this year.

Is SMA12 linked to commissioning of new sidings to the north of Parsons Green to compensate for sale of Lillie Bridge sidings site? Or are the two projects being progressed separately?  Works to vacate the old depot should commence in 2024.