London Underground Re-Signalling Project

Thorne & Derrick, alongside Bombardier Transportation, will be supplying the Silver Fox ‘Fox in a Box’ Cable Label System, which is to be used on the London Underground SSR Contract.  This is reported to be the largest ever recorded metro re-signalling contract undertaken worldwide.

The system, which is based around the ‘Fox in the Box’ thermal printer using the Labacus Innovator Professional Software, has come from the leading UK manufacturer of labelling solutions, Silver Fox. This printer allows for complex and multiple cable labels, cross ferruling, split cable labels and variable replication of cells.

 Bombardier Transportation was awarded the £354m signalling upgrade for LUL contract for SSR automatic train control in June 2011. While Thorne & Derrick are national distributors and worldwide exporters of cable installation, cable jointing and electrical equipment for hazardous and industrial areas.

Bombardier’s proven CITYFLO 650 ATC system is the heart of the new system which uses communication-based train control (CBTC) technology. It is similar to the system in operation in China on Shenzhen Metro Line 3 and also the one operating in Spain on the Metro de Madrid Lines 1 and 6.

The LUL contract is for the signalling renewal and provision of an ATC system for the four sub-surface lines, which carry some 1.3m passengers a day. Together, the lines comprise 40% of the LUL network and carry 25% of the total ridership.

By the end of 2018, it is hoped that Bombardier will equip the 310km of track line (40km in tunnels), 191 trainsets,  113 stations, 49 engineering trains and six heritage trains, followed by a two-year warranty period.

As part of this project, Silver Fox LSZH (low smoke zero halogen) tie-on cable labels are being used to label both high and low voltage power cables on the LUL rail network. LUL have black on white cable label in order to identify low voltage cables while a red on white cable label is used for high voltage cables.

According to CEO of Silver Fox, Nick Michaelson , the Silver Fox Tie-On cable marking system is ideal for large cables and cable bundles – including use with nylon cable ties  or stainless steel cable ties. They are used on LUL compliant cable labels for power, Cat5e, co-axial and fire alarm cable.