Rail operating centre officially opened in Three Bridges

A new signalling centre which will eventually control large parts of the railway across Sussex and Surrey has been officially opened in Three Bridges.

Henry Smith MP was joined by representatives from Network Rail, Southern and Crawley Borough Council to formally open the state-of-the-art rail operating centre (ROC) earlier today (7 January).

The rail operating centre at Three Bridges is one of 12 which will eventually operate the entire rail network across Britain, replacing more than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations currently used to control trains.

All 12 centres will have more advanced signalling tools and technology that will help reduce delays, improve performance, increase capacity, provide better information to passengers and offer better value for money for the British people.

Crawley MP Henry Smith said: “I’m proud that Crawley is the new home of rail control for much of south east England. Modernising the railway by making the signalling more efficient and reliable, in addition to integrating Network Rail’s control centre to work more closely with Southern to resolve delays more quickly, will really help to improve the passenger experience. This investment in Three Bridges represents a significant enhancement for the travelling public and a real boost to the local economy.”

Tim Robinson, Network Rail’s route managing director for Sussex, said: “This new rail operating centre, and the nearby new Thameslink depot currently under construction, means that Three Bridges will be one of the most important places on the railway map in the south east.

“When fully operational, it will help to boost performance, increase capacity and provide a better level of service to passengers during periods of disruption.

“As well as helping to create a better railway, it will also help boost the local economy as several hundred jobs will be relocated to the town, giving a vital boost for local shops and amenities.”

Chris Burchell, managing director of Southern, said: “Working together in this new state of the art operations centre I am confident we can make some real strides in delivering the more reliable, efficient service we have all been working towards.”

The new rail operating centre is part of a transformation of the railway in Three Bridges which will see it firmly placed on the national railway map for many decades to come. Eventually it will control all of the railway from London Victoria and London Bridge stations, along the length of the Brighton main line to Brighton and the south coast, and large areas either side in both Sussex and Surrey.

One of two maintenance depots for the new Thameslink trains is being built in Three Bridges and a number of improvements to the station and subway have recently been completed by Network Rail and Southern to provide better journeys and facilities for thousands of passengers.

Construction of the rail operating centre was carried out by Spencer Rail on behalf of Network Rail.