Business reporter, BBC News
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By 2028, mobile phone dead zones will be eliminated on several major railway lines and train tunnels, according to a commitment from the organization responsible for Britain’s railway infrastructure.
Network Rail, owned by the government, has entered into an agreement with two private telecommunications companies aimed at enhancing 4G and 5G connectivity on trains and in stations.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced that work will commence next year, stating that it will “transform” the experience for passengers who’ve dealt with dropped calls and poor internet access.
The endeavor is expected to last three years, as work can only proceed when trains are not operational on the tracks.
Initially, the project dubbed Project Reach will involve installing 1,000km of ultra-fast fiber optic cable along sections of the East Coast Main Line from London King’s Cross to Newcastle, and the West Coast Main Line from the capital to Manchester.
Telecommunications provider Neos Networks will also lay cables along the Great Western Main Line running from London to Cardiff and the Chiltern Main Line.
The DfT indicated plans to expand this to over 5,000km “in the near future,” though a specific timeline has not been disclosed.
Freshwave has been tasked with eliminating dead zones across 57 tunnels stretching nearly 50km, including the 4km-long Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol.
They will collaborate with mobile network operators (MNOs) BT, O2, and VodafoneThree to enhance mobile connectivity in tunnels of 250m or longer on the East Coast, West Coast, and Great Western lines.
Freshwave will also work with MNOs to develop new 4G and 5G infrastructure at 12 of the largest Network Rail stations, including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, and Edinburgh Waverley.
‘Transformative for Passengers’
Network Rail asserts that the private funding for this project will spare taxpayers approximately £300m, as the telecom companies will finance it instead of Network Rail having to upgrade its existing infrastructure.
Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Westlake noted that this investment model will “provide necessary upgrades to our telecoms infrastructure more swiftly while delivering significant value for the taxpayer and fostering broader economic benefits nationwide.”
Bruce Williamson, spokesperson for the advocacy group Rail Future, told the BBC that improved connectivity for railway passengers is “certainly a positive development”.
“The demand for connectivity is apparent. People rely on their smartphones and often work while traveling by train,” he elaborated.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander commented that the rollout will support the government’s “wider goals of economic growth and digital innovation”.
She described the agreement as a “transformative step for passengers nationwide”.
“By enhancing connectivity and addressing signal dead zones, we are also facilitating a more reliable and effective service,” she added.