THE three yellow-liveried Class 43 High Speed Train power cars which are used on Network Rail’s ‘New Measurement Train’ (NMT) have become the first members of the class to be fitted with European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment.
Owner Porterbrook awarded the contract to carry out the work on Nos. 43013, 43014 and 43062 to Thales in 2018.
Fitting ETCS (which is already in use on the Cambrian lines and in the process of being tested on the Northern City Line) was deemed a priority in order to ensure uninterrupted infrastructure monitoring as parts of the network migrate to the in-cab technology in place of traditional lineside signalling.
In order to release the three NMT power cars for ETCS installation and testing, former LNER Class 43s, Nos. 43290 and 43299 were brought in to cover operation of the train.