Euston joint control room points to way forward for rail industry

A new control room at Euston station has opened as part of a collaborative effort from Network Rail, London Midland and Virgin Trains.

The project marks the first time that a joint control room has been built from scratch, with both train operators and Network Rail contributing to the design so that the control room delivers what each party needs.

The new facility was designed to assist and encourage collaborative working between the three companies’ staff, which will improve both the management of station personnel and the dissemination of information between station staff and train operators. This will help to deduce the dwell time for trains at the station, improving train performance and reducing delays for passengers.

London Euston was chosen as the site for the first joint control room due to the high number of passengers that use the station and the potential for overcrowding during times of service disruption.

Steve Lewis, Network Rail station manager at Euston, said: “This new control room is a fantastic example of what we can achieve when we work together.

“Euston is one of the busiest stations in the country and the whole team here, whether they work for Network Rail, London Midland or Virgin Trains, have a huge role to play in keeping thousands of people moving each day.

“This facility will make working together easier and improve the service we provide to passengers and to each other.”

David Johnson, duty station manager for Virgin Trains at Euston, said: “We now have a state of the art Joint Control facility at London Euston to enable Virgin Trains, London Midland and Network Rail to work closely together to deliver the timetable to our passengers, and co-ordinate service recovery following any disruption.”

Alex Hynes, commercial director, London Midland, said: “This is partnership working in action. Keeping staff and customers up to date with the latest information is the best way to boost passenger approval.”