All but one of a group of 13 members assembled punctually on Romford Up main platform and were met by our host, Matthew Dickerson (NR's Anglia Operations Manger) for the Society's first visit to a modern Railway Operating Centre (ROC). He escorted the group along the secure pathway to the brand new £32M Romford ROC,[pictured left]a little to the London side of the station. Participants were shown round the building including the Command Centre, the London Overground floor and the external balcony, overlooking the emergency supply area. Most of the building was vacant except for the control floor[pictured below]which had recently moved from near Liverpool Street. Our missing member from Derby showed up later having persuaded the station staff to make contact.

The ROC opened on 23/24 May and houses the Liverpool Street station announcer, the Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA) customer information team and the 'control centre of the future' for Crossrail through central London. It has two NR train running controllers, two customer information staff covering West Anglia (WA) and Great Eastern (GE), a duty train crew supervisor, three AGA Train Service Managers i.e. GE outer, GE inner (to Ipswich) and WA; and an Assistant Train Service Manager whose job is to ensure that units are on the right diagrams. BLS Members had plenty of opportunity to talk to these staff, and see the delay attribution area[pictured right]where low level delays are allocated and larger incidents are managed. The electric supply control room is due to move from nearby (Romford) in February and the c2c Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC) from Upminster in October 2016. Also expected next October is a Thales Train Management System which is optimised to manage the Public Performance Measure (PPM) rather than delay minutes.

Participants then caught the 13.41 LO service to reach Upminster IECC,[pictured left]where there have been some changes since our first visit on 12 May 2012. At the station, NR'S Greg Rutland took the group to the box which opened in 1994. It controls the whole of the London Tilbury & Southend (LT&S) system,[pictured below]Stratford (in the middle of the Liverpool Street IECC area,) and the North London Line layout to Camden Road. This is a difficult mix of heavy passenger traffic and long freight trains (including now at Thames Gateway). The 'stock transfer line' at Highbury and Islington at the end of the East London Line extension is physically connected but not signalled nor electrified (third rail or overhead) throughout and has only been used once or twice during an engineers' possession.

Apparently it would be a complex and very expensive job for the IECC and New Cross Signalling Centre computers to communicate! The party was told about the difficulties caused by very long freight trains coming off the North London Line, then crossing the whole layout at Stratford before heading off to Barking; not for the faint hearted. This has been alleviated by track improvements.

There are six work stations, two for the North London line and four self-contained ones for the LT&S; three route stations (Fenchurch Street area, inner and outer) and one covering the 9 CCTV level crossings,[pictured below]the least popular to work on. It was noted that all the LT&S passenger crossovers and connections are used at least weekly to check that they work properly! There are six signallers and a shift manager on duty at all times. Also on site is a c2c train running manager. The North London panels cover the Willesden area and the North London Line to Highbury (exclusive) with the other covering Highbury to Stratford P1 & P2 and High Meads Jn. These are monitored with axle counters and have Automatic Route Setting. The conversion to the Westinghouse Rail System 'WESTCAD IECC' format is due on 19 December this year. At Upminster there are unused work stations ready for further expansion that is no longer happening.

Thanks to Stuart Hicks for leading the group and to all the helpful and friendly railway staff on the day. It is pleasing to report that £200 was raised for Railway Children from participants in recognition of the facilities kindly provided by NR.