Tyneside ROC Newcastle Workstation 4th January 2024
Like York Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC), Tyneside IECC dates from British Rail's East Coast Main Line (ECML) modernisation and electrification project of the 1980s.
Network Rail originally planned for Tyneside IECC to close, and its area of control be transferred to York Rail Operations Centre (ROC) during the early 2020's. However, several factors - including cost, practicality, future resignalling strategy and the impact of the Covid pandemic causing mass staff absences in large workplaces - led to a change of plan.
Tyneside IECC therefore never migrated to York ROC, but was instead refurbished with provision made for extra workstations, saw rearrangement of the existing workstations on the Operations Floor, replacement of the original IECC signalling control equipment with WestCad, and - curiously - renaming to Tyneside ROC.
Tyneside ROC very much retains the character of an IECC, has none of the typical characteristics of a ROC, but equally within Network Rail we also have several locations which very much resemble ROCs but are not named as such.
Tyneside IECC's area of control on renaming was the ECML from the fringe with York ROC north of Northallerton at Danby Wiske through Darlington, Durham and Newcastle to the fringe with Morpeth SB north of Plessey. The busy section of railway - much of which is shared with or exclusive to Tyne & Wear Metro operations - from Newcastle to beyond Sunderland, including the entire South Hylton branch, was also under Tyneside IECC's control. Parts of the Shildon branch, Dinsdale Lines towards Eaglescliffe and the Tyne Valley Line towards Blaydon were controlled from here too.
Since renaming, Tyneside ROC still retains the existing Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland workstations, but resignalling of the Blyth & Tyne network in connection with 2024's return of passenger services to the area - marketed as the "Northumberland Line" - saw the additional Ashington workstation commissioned.
This photo shows the Newcastle workstation, which controls the busy railway through Newcastle Central station, past Heaton Depot, Benton Junction and on towards the Morpeth area.
At the time of this photo in January 2024, Newcastle workstation fringed with Gateshead workstation (twice - basically south of the King Edward VII and High Level Bridges across the River Tyne), Heaton Depot's busy Control Tower (actually a Portakabin type structure these days), Morpeth SB and Newsham SB. A more detailed photo of Newcastle workstation's northern area can be seen via the link below.
www.flickr.com/photos/194923731@N02/54312146913/in/album-...
As mentioned above, the Blyth & Tyne network was resignalled during 2024, Newsham SB was one of the boxes to be closed and so Newcastle workstation now instead fringes with Ashington workstation at the other end of the Operations Floor.
It will be noted that in addition to all the railway described above, the Newcastle workstation signalman also has responsibility for the operation of 2 busy level crossings, monitored by CCTV, on the ECML at Killingworth and Dam Dykes.
Tyneside ROC Newcastle Workstation 4th January 2024
Like York Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC), Tyneside IECC dates from British Rail's East Coast Main Line (ECML) modernisation and electrification project of the 1980s.
Network Rail originally planned for Tyneside IECC to close, and its area of control be transferred to York Rail Operations Centre (ROC) during the early 2020's. However, several factors - including cost, practicality, future resignalling strategy and the impact of the Covid pandemic causing mass staff absences in large workplaces - led to a change of plan.
Tyneside IECC therefore never migrated to York ROC, but was instead refurbished with provision made for extra workstations, saw rearrangement of the existing workstations on the Operations Floor, replacement of the original IECC signalling control equipment with WestCad, and - curiously - renaming to Tyneside ROC.
Tyneside ROC very much retains the character of an IECC, has none of the typical characteristics of a ROC, but equally within Network Rail we also have several locations which very much resemble ROCs but are not named as such.
Tyneside IECC's area of control on renaming was the ECML from the fringe with York ROC north of Northallerton at Danby Wiske through Darlington, Durham and Newcastle to the fringe with Morpeth SB north of Plessey. The busy section of railway - much of which is shared with or exclusive to Tyne & Wear Metro operations - from Newcastle to beyond Sunderland, including the entire South Hylton branch, was also under Tyneside IECC's control. Parts of the Shildon branch, Dinsdale Lines towards Eaglescliffe and the Tyne Valley Line towards Blaydon were controlled from here too.
Since renaming, Tyneside ROC still retains the existing Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland workstations, but resignalling of the Blyth & Tyne network in connection with 2024's return of passenger services to the area - marketed as the "Northumberland Line" - saw the additional Ashington workstation commissioned.
This photo shows the Newcastle workstation, which controls the busy railway through Newcastle Central station, past Heaton Depot, Benton Junction and on towards the Morpeth area.
At the time of this photo in January 2024, Newcastle workstation fringed with Gateshead workstation (twice - basically south of the King Edward VII and High Level Bridges across the River Tyne), Heaton Depot's busy Control Tower (actually a Portakabin type structure these days), Morpeth SB and Newsham SB. A more detailed photo of Newcastle workstation's northern area can be seen via the link below.
www.flickr.com/photos/194923731@N02/54312146913/in/album-...
As mentioned above, the Blyth & Tyne network was resignalled during 2024, Newsham SB was one of the boxes to be closed and so Newcastle workstation now instead fringes with Ashington workstation at the other end of the Operations Floor.
It will be noted that in addition to all the railway described above, the Newcastle workstation signalman also has responsibility for the operation of 2 busy level crossings, monitored by CCTV, on the ECML at Killingworth and Dam Dykes.