Network Rail has completed the construction of the new rail operating centre (ROC) in York, UK, in a bid to provide vital improvements in the rail network.
Termed to be the biggest railway control centre in the country, the £25m operation centre will consolidate all the signalling and control operations across the network to bring changes in the train services between London King’s Cross and the Scottish border.
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Network Rail route managing director Phil Verster said: "The rail operating centre is the largest of just 12 proposed centres across the UK and will bring the expertise and technology we require to improve our control over train services and to make signalling more efficient.
"This investment in new technology will contribute significantly to improvements in train service punctuality, increased capacity and will also provide an improved service to passengers.
"We hope that the location of the new facility on the edge of the York Central development site could act as a catalyst for further investment in the area."
In January 2015, the ROC will replace the route control building at the York station.
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By GlobalDataMore centres will move into the ROC in the near future as part of Network Rail’s investment in modern signalling technology. It will eventually be home for approximately 400 workers from Northern Rail, East Coast and Network Rail.
Northern Rail service delivery director Alan Chaplin said: "The new centre will allow teams from Network Rail and rail operators to work more closely together, making quicker, more collaborative decisions about the operational railway.
"That will ensure that all our customers will benefit from improved service reliability and performance."
Image: Phil Verster shows MP Hugh Bayley, East Coast’s Danny Williams and Northern Rail’s Alan Chaplin around the new Rail Operating Centre in York. Photo: courtesy of Network Rail.
