UK-first mainline rail trial uses real-time technology to enhance safety at rural level crossings

Credit: Network Rail

Network Rail’s Wales & Borders division has successfully trialled Universal Signalling’s ‘U-Cross’ system, a UK-first mainline technology designed to deliver next-generation, safer signalling to rural railway lines. The trial, conducted on the Heart of Wales line, marks a significant step forward in improving safety and operational efficiency on rural lines across Britain.

Developed by Universal Signalling and first demonstrated at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence in Onllwyn, South Wales, in 2024, the system provides signallers with real-time information on train locations. This enables faster, safer decisions at user-worked crossings, commonly used by farmers, landowners and rural communities.

User-worked crossings require users to contact a signaller by telephone before crossing. Although existing procedures are safe, signallers often rely on train-location information from multiple sources, which can result in delays. ‘U-Cross’ addresses this by giving signallers instant situational awareness, including the exact time available to cross safely before a train arrives.

Anthony Aldred, Operations Manager, Network Rail Wales and Borders, said, “Managing access to the railway at user-worked crossings is a key part of keeping our network safe for the people and communities who rely on it. In rural areas, where signallers rely on information from multiple sources, U-Cross gives them a clear, instant view of train locations and visual confirmation of whether a crossing is safe to use, while defaulting to established procedures if a fault is detected. This product has real potential to further strengthen safety and reduce delays for users and it has been incredibly valuable to support this project. We’re proud to be part of this UK-first trial as we work with Universal Signalling and our industry partners to explore how it could benefit more locations across the network.”

The two-week trial took place from 3 to 14 November on an 11-mile section of track between Llandeilo and Llandovery, covering 20 user-worked crossings. Trackside U-Beacon Universal Locator Beacons were installed and in-service Transport for Wales trains were fitted with readers and communications equipment. Trains automatically transmitted their position to the signaller when approaching or clearing a crossing. The system collected more than 400,000 data points for analysis.

The rapid installation capability of U-Cross allowed the full 11-mile stretch to be fitted in just two and a half overnight line blocks without prior design work, demonstrating cost and efficiency advantages for future signalling upgrades, alongside enhanced safety protection for crossing users.

Stephen Head, Chief Executive Officer at Universal Signalling, said, “U-Cross is the first stepping stone towards our vision for next-generation digital signalling that’s affordable for rural lines. What truly sets this apart is the speed of deployment, which drives down cost to the railway. We’ve automated and productionised as much of the process as possible, stripping out much of the cost base. Fitting 11 miles of track in just two and a half overnight possessions, with no prior design work, shows what’s possible with our system. It’s been a delight working with the Wales & Borders teams, and the support from Transport for Wales has been fantastic. Feedback from this trial and analysis of the data collected will inform refinements ahead of the next phase.”

The next phase will expand the technology across the full 96-mile Heart of Wales line, which has 126 crossings, before considering other rural lines across the UK. Network Rail continues to adopt innovative technologies to enhance the passenger experience, strengthen safety and deliver smarter, cost-effective railway operations.