Alstom upgrades Cambridge railway network for safety and efficiency
Alstom has completed Stage 2 of its Cambridge railway re-signalling project, significantly enhancing the safety, reliability, and capacity of the network in the Cambridge area, UK.
Alstom, a company specializing in smart and sustainable mobility, has successfully completed Stage 2 of the Cambridge Resignalling, Relock and Recontrol (C3R) project in the United Kingdom. This milestone modernizes the region's railway infrastructure, aiming to improve safety, reliability, and capacity for passengers and operators.
The project involved re-signalling, re-locking, and re-controlling the area north of Cambridge railway station, extending to the new Cambridge South station and further south to Great Chesterford and Foxton. The existing control panel at Cambridge Power Signal Box (PSB) was replaced with two modern Modular Control Systems (MCS). Additionally, the Meldreth Road level crossing was upgraded from an Automatic Half Barrier (AHB) system to a manually controlled barrier system with CCTV, enhancing safety for road and pedestrian users.
The re-signalling work required an 11-day blockade of the Cambridge station and surrounding routes, which took place between December 25, 2025, and January 5, 2026. During this period, approximately 250 personnel worked per shift, completing over 50,000 hours of work. This was Alstom's largest single re-signalling project in the UK to date.
Emmanuel Henry, Alstom's Managing Director for Digital and Integrated Systems in the UK and Ireland, stated that the successful commissioning demonstrates Alstom's commitment to delivering advanced signalling solutions that improve safety and efficiency across the UK rail network. He expressed pride in the company's role in transforming the Cambridge area for the benefit of passengers and operators.
This upgrade is part of Network Rail's £200 million investment to modernize signalling across the region, replacing equipment that has been in service for over 40 years. The new system, based on Alstom's Smartlock 400 interlocking technology and MCS Infinity control platform, is designed to improve operational reliability and flexibility, and to support future enhancements such as the opening of Cambridge South station.