Latest news with #NetworkRail
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Network Rail and partners to tackle Britain's rail signal blackspots
Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave have announced a partnership called Project Reach, aimed at eliminating mobile signal blackspots across Britain's major rail routes. The commercial model of Project Reach combines public and private sector investment, with anticipated savings for taxpayers of around £300m ($411.7m). The project will initially involve Neos Networks laying 1,000km of ultrafast fibre optic cable along key rail lines, with plans to expand to more than 5,000km. The rail lines will include the East Coast, Chiltern, West Coast, and Great Western Main Lines. Freshwave will work with mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage in 57 tunnels and their adjacent cuttings. This includes tunnels such as Chipping Sodbury near Bristol and those surrounding King's Cross station. The company will target investment to address coverage gaps in rail tunnels and upgrade wireless infrastructure at major railway stations. The deal includes a commitment from mobile network operators to invest in new 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 of Network Rail's largest stations, including Birmingham New St and Manchester Piccadilly. The upgraded infrastructure will enable Network Rail to better monitor railway assets and support the adoption of new technologies. Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: 'This is a game changer for passengers up and down the country and will revolutionise journeys from Paddington to Penzance and Edinburgh to Euston. 'By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service.' Neos Networks will commercialise spare fibre capacity as part of the project, enhancing Network Rail's critical telecoms infrastructure. This will not only provide the necessary future capacity for digitally driven railway benefits but also create a digital connectivity backbone for businesses, connecting data centres and high-performance edge facilities. Network Rail chief financial officer Jeremy Westlake said: 'I'm delighted that we have now signed this innovative deal with our partners Neos Networks and Freshwave. This investment model will deliver the necessary upgrades to our telecoms infrastructure faster whilst offering significant value-for-money for the taxpayer and stimulating wider economic benefits across the country.' The multi-year Project Reach is set to commence mobile infrastructure installations in 2026, with full rollout expected by 2028. Recently, Network Rail entered a contract worth £500m with British Steel for the provision of over 337,000 tonnes of railway track for the coming five years, starting from July 1st. "Network Rail and partners to tackle Britain's rail signal blackspots" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Poor mobile signal on UK trains could be no more
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced 'Project Reach', a significant initiative to boost mobile signal and internet connectivity for train passengers across Britain. A landmark agreement between Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave will see 1,000km of ultra-fast fibre optic cable installed along major routes, with plans to extend beyond 5,000km. Freshwave will specifically target connectivity issues within 57 tunnels, covering nearly 50km of track, including notorious blackspots like the Chipping Sodbury tunnel. Mobile network operators will invest in new 4G and 5G infrastructure at 12 major railway stations, including London Euston, King's Cross, and Manchester Piccadilly. The project, which combines public and private sector investment, is expected to save taxpayers around £300 million and is scheduled for completion by 2028.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Mobile signal blackspots to be eliminated on many of the UK's major train routes
Train journeys can be frustrating at the best of times - with passengers having to put up with delays, noisy commuters or a lack of available seats. However, train users could soon have one less thing to worry about as mobile signal blackspots - where the internet cuts out and pauses your favourite TV show or game - are set to be eliminated on many of the UK's major train routes by 2028. The move, called Project Reach, comes after the Department for Transport (Dft) signed a deal with Network rail and telecoms companies Neos Networks and Freshwave. The installation of infrastructure is expected to begin next year and will initially see Neos Networks install 621 miles of ultra-fast fibre optic cable along parts of the East Coast Main Line, West Coast Main Line, Great Western Main Line and Chiltern Main Line. There is an ambition to expand the cabling beyond 3,107 miles in the "near future", the DfT said. Freshwave will tackle blackspots in 57 tunnels - covering nearly 31 miles - including the Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol and the Gasworks and Copenhagen tunnels outside King's Cross. As part of the deal, mobile network operators will also invest in new 4G and 5G infrastructure at these 12 railway stations: Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Edinburgh Waverley, Euston, Glasgow Central, King's Cross, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Paddington and Waterloo. The DfT said the agreement "brings together public and private sector investment and infrastructure", and is expected to save taxpayers "around £300m". Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "This is a game-changer for passengers up and down the country, and will revolutionise journeys from Paddington to Penzance and Edinburgh to Euston. "By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service. "This means better journeys for passengers while supporting our broader plan for change goals of economic growth and digital innovation."
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Railway tunnels to get phone signal in bid to eliminate ‘not spots'
Train passengers will no longer face the frustration of having phone calls cut out each time they enter a tunnel, under new plans from Network Rail. The track operator aims to eliminate so-called 'not spots' for voice calls, streaming and text messages by 2028 – with plans to extend connectivity to dozens of tunnels and cuttings on Britain's key intercity routes. The work to fill in gaps beyond the reach of existing masts on the East Coast, West Coast and Great Western lines will be undertaken by wireless infrastructure specialist Freshwave. The firm will, in turn, recoup its investment by selling bandwidth to mobile network operators Virgin Media O2, Vodafone/Three and BT's EE – which are backing the project. Dubbed Project Reach, the scheme will tackle signal blackspots in 57 tunnels of 250 metres or more including the 2.5-mile shaft under the Cotswolds at Chipping Sodbury near Bristol, one of the longest on the UK rail network. Freshwave will also upgrade wireless infrastructure at the main stations in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, together with five stations in London, with work due to commence next year. The London-based firm currently provides connectivity for more than 2,000 buildings and 200 high streets, as well managing hundreds of masts. Simon Frumkin, chief executive of Freshwave, said: 'Project Reach will make a noticeable difference in some of the most frustrating parts of their journey. The mobile connectivity will mean fewer dropped calls, smoother streaming, and more consistent access to travel updates.' One significant gap will remain following the project, with the provision of connectivity through the 4.5-mile Severn Tunnel, regarded as too technologically challenging. The longest underwater tunnel in the world until 1987, it contains a freshwater spring from which more than 10m gallons of water a day must be pumped. The scheme will also see Neos Networks deploy more than 600 miles of ultrafast fibre optic cable alongside the same three arterial railway lines, stretching from London as far as Newcastle, Cardiff and Manchester via Birmingham. Neos will install a 432-core high count cable, providing a huge capacity upgrade compared with the railway's existing 24 and 48 count cable similar to that found on residential streets. The cable will join up Neos data centres – of which there are 90 nationwide – by the easiest physical pathways, rather than serving rail passengers. However, the terms of the deal will allow Network Rail to take up 50pc of the broadband capacity created to facilitate the digitisation of railway signalling, seen as key to allowing trains to run faster and closer together, fitting in more services and cutting journey times. Network Rail said the cabling plan will deliver a saving of around £300m for taxpayers and could be extended to cover more than 3,000 miles of track in future, taking in routes such as the London to Brighton and Great Eastern lines. Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said Project Reach will deliver a more reliable and efficient service for passengers while also supporting the 'broader goals of economic growth and digital innovation'. The move follows the Government's announcement last week of £41m of funding for satellite connectivity to improve the availability and speeds of Wi-Fi on mainline trains. Separately, Ofcom this week moved to expose the postcode lottery of Britain's mobile coverage, rolling out a new tool aimed at highlighting patchy signals. The regulator has launched a new mobile coverage map in an effort to give consumers a more accurate picture of network quality in their area down to a level of 50 square metres. Sir Chris Bryant, the telecoms minister, previously raised concerns about discrepancies between the industry's coverage claims and the reality of users' experience. While a user's phone may show it has a signal, the quality of the connection can be impaired by interference from weather and buildings and insufficient network capacity in busy areas such as railways stations and stadiums.
STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Rail passengers set to benefit as deal struck to eliminate mobile blackspots
Rail passengers in Scotland are set for a major connectivity boost, as a new UK Government deal aims to eliminate mobile signal blackspots on some of Britain's busiest train routes. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced the landmark agreement – entitled Project Reach – on Thursday. It will upgrade digital infrastructure across the network, with Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley among 12 major stations to receive new 4G and 5G coverage. The move comes as millions of rail users regularly face dropped calls and patchy signal on routes including the East Coast and West Coast main lines. Scottish travellers heading south or across the central belt often experience long stretches without mobile data or call signal, particularly in tunnels and rural sections of track. Network Rail, working with telecoms partners Neos Networks and Freshwave, will begin installing over 1,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable, with ambitions to expand to 5,000 kilometres. The project will also tackle 57 signal blackspots in tunnels – equivalent to nearly 50 kilometres of coverage improvements. Work is due to start in 2026 and be completed by 2028. Alexander said the upgrades would 'revolutionise journeys from Edinburgh to Euston and beyond, boosting connectivity, improving reliability and helping to grow the economy.' She added: 'By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service. 'This means better journeys for passengers while supporting our broader Plan for Change goals of economic growth and digital innovation.' Freshwave will focus on improving signal in notoriously poor areas, including long tunnels, while Neos Networks will lead the fibre infrastructure rollout. The partnership between government and private firms is expected to save taxpayers around £300m. The enhanced telecoms network will also improve train operations, helping staff monitor assets in real time and introducing new safety features. It forms part of a wider effort to modernise Britain's railways ahead of the transition to Great British Railways, a unified national rail body. Jeremy Westlake, Network Rail's chief financial officer, said the deal 'delivers better value for taxpayers while supporting a data-driven, more reliable railway.' The announcement builds on previous government plans to introduce satellite internet access on mainline trains – part of a broader effort to improve Wi-Fi speeds and availability across the rail network. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
