New combined railway control centre brings improvements for West Coast Main Line passengers

Millions of passengers who travel on the West Coast Main Line each week are set to benefit from a new behind-the-scenes collaboration at a railway control centre in Warwickshire.

Under the arrangement, train operator London Northwestern Railway (LNR) has brought in dozens of new staff to work alongside Network Rail (NR) control teams at the dedicated Rail Operations Centre (ROC) in Rugby.

The centre, located close to the town’s railway station, is responsible for the smooth operation of more than 154 miles of track, stretching from London Euston to Crewe. Bringing ‘track and train’ decision‑making under one roof allows teams to respond more efficiently during incidents, improving the reliability of one of Britain’s busiest stretches of railway.

LNR runs thousands of services each week, connecting major destinations including London Euston, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Liverpool. Previously based in the West Midlands, LNR has expanded its presence at the ROC in recent months, bringing in specialist teams to work alongside NR seven days a week to keep the railway running smoothly.

The control floor has been designed with futureproofing in mind, including space to expand the joint operation as the industry moves towards Great British Railways. The ambition is for even more operational decisions to be made within this single facility, strengthening collaboration and delivering a more joined‑up, reliable railway for passengers and freight.

Alex Curtis, head of control for London Northwestern Railway, said: “We carry millions of passengers on our services every month and we are committed to making every journey as reliable and efficient as possible.

“Although invisible to our customers, our control room plays a vital role behind the scenes in making quick decisions which keep services running on some of the busiest railway in Europe.

“Working side-by-side with Network Rail at our new base in Rugby gives us the ability to respond quickly and dynamically to issues which crop up on the rail network and keep passengers on the move.

“As well as benefitting our customers it has been great to bring new skilled jobs and training to this strategically-important location in Warwickshire.”

Paul Dellow, head of control for Network Rail, said: “Bringing our teams together at Rugby ROC is already transforming the way we run the railway. Decisions that once took far too long are now made face‑to‑face in minutes, helping us keep passengers and freight moving.

"We’ve deliberately designed this facility to be future‑proof, with space to grow as the railway moves towards Great British Railways. My ideal scenario is that all operational decision‑making happens right here in this room, and we’re well on the way to making that a reality.”

In addition to LNR and NR staff, the centre has a dedicated British Transport Police desk, aiding co-ordination should police attendance be required to assist with an incident on the railway.

For more information on the work of railway controllers – and careers information - visit these dedicated Network Rail web pages: Rail Operations Careers - Home - Network Rails Signallers