GBRf name new locomotive as King’s Cross project reaches final stage

To celebrate the final closure of the Kings Cross signal box, GB Railfreight, one of the UK’s leading transport companies, named a Class 66 locomotive at the station on 23 April.

L-R: Gary Ruff, Infrastructure Maintenance Engineer for Network Rail, Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast Route, John Smith, GBRf Managing Director

The GBRf team has provided engineering trains and supported a project to renew the signalling system and overhead line equipment in the Kings Cross area, as well as simplifying the track layout at London King’s Cross.

As a result, the King’s Cross Power Signal Box has been closed, and the signalling has been recontroled to a state-of-the-art Rail Operating Centre in York. GBRf decided to mark the occasion by renaming the last train which was signalled into the station by the box in its honour.

The King’s Cross Power Signal Box opened in September 1971, after the original signal box built by the LNER in 1932 was closed. All signalling operations moved overnight to the new Kings Cross Power Signal Box situated on the site of the old York Road Station buildings. The original LNER signal-box remained in-situ for another five years before being demolished as part of the electrification scheme and rationalisation of the station track-work.

The new locomotive was named ‘King’s Cross PSB 1971-2021’ to mark this historic day.

John Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, said:
“After 50 years King’s Cross PSB closed its doors with this 66767 being the last loco signalled by the box into King’s Cross station. Quite an honour when you consider all the other famous trains that have come and gone from the place!
“I’d like to thank all those who worked on this project, especially our colleagues at Network Rail who we worked so closely with during these last few months.”

www.gbrailfreight.com

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