Final Commissioning of Immunisation Works on the Metropolitan Line
01 Feb 2010
Over the last 20 months Invensys Rail has been engaged in an extensive programme of signalling immunisation works on the Sub-Surface Lines for London Underground.
In a programme lasting three years in total, the project will see the replacement of track circuits at 34 locations, which will ultimately allow London Underground's new S-Stock trains to enter passenger service on the Metropolitan line from later in 2010, followed by Hammersmith & City, Circle and District lines.
The recent New Year bank holiday weekend saw the successful commissioning of the twentieth and final site on the Metropolitan line, with the commissioning team implementing a Frequency Conversion solution to immunise the signalling equipment at Aldgate. This paves the way for the S8 stock to commence a period of testing along the full length of the Metropolitan line.
The scope of Invensys Rail's work includes all design, approvals, installation, testing and commissioning works, with the team involved routinely including up to 80 staff, rising to 120 at the peak commissioning periods on the larger scale sites. In the last 16 months alone, the team has completed 18 separate commissionings without a single over-run, and with the last 12 months of RIDDOR-free working.
Now that the immunisation programme is complete on the Metropolitan line, the team is embarking on a series of 14 commissionings on the District line, covering stations from Whitechapel out to Barking, in addition to the Wimbledon branch south from Putney Bridge. The first of these commissionings will take place on the weekend of 6th February, with the programme due to be fully completed in November 2010.
The technical solution for some sites on the District line differs slightly to that delivered for the majority of the Metropolitan line. Although the first three sites will be commissioned with the FS2550 track circuit system, the sites from Bromley-by-Bow to Barking are suitable for a Frequency Conversion solution, which offers a slightly more straightforward implementation and maintenance option.
Different track circuits will also be utilised on the Wimbledon branch. As this section of the system is owned, operated and maintained between both LU and Network Rail, various issues around product assurance and approvals mean that to ensure programme adherence, the new digital version of the EBI Track 200 will be used for immunisation.
Commenting on the programme of work, Invensys Rail's Senior Project Manager, Matt Johnson, said: "In many ways it is the sheer scale and pace of the commissioning programme that makes this such a challenging operation, particularly in terms of the resource management demands. For instance, working on the District line we will commission 14 sites in 9 months, ?doubling up? sites in commissioning weekends in order to minimise disruption to the railway and therefore to the travelling public. We have been working hard as a joint team with our LU Signalling Upgrade Programme counterparts so that we meet the needs of the S-stock programme whilst dovetailing with other major programmes
"Given this complexity, it?s a great credit to all involved that each individual commissioning has been delivered on time, and RIDDOR-free for the last year. The project team is now looking forward to delivering the remainder of the project during the course of 2010".
As the immunisation programme continues, a parallel programme of work is underway to relocate existing signal hardware to accommodate the slightly different sight lines of the new rolling stock.