The end of railway internet blackouts and more productive
journeys thanks to better WiFi could be on the way for
thousands of rail passengers, as the government invests
£200,000 to launch research into developing an innovative
prototype to improve mobile connectivity, the Transport
Secretary has announced (Friday, July 23).
With over a third of the 11,000 miles of Great Britain’s
railways electrified using Overhead Line Equipment (OLE),
research funded by the Department for Transport has found that
it is possible to attach communications antennas to them,
improving connectivity for passengers as well as reducing the
need to build additional track-side masts, therefore cutting
costs.
The Mott MacDonald report, published today, found there is
significant potential to utilize these existing structures to
mount equipment, a technique which is increasingly being used
in countries such as Austria to address railway mobile
connectivity challenges.
Telecom operators are now being urged to come forward and
develop suitable equipment for the next phase of the trial,
which will test how antennas can be safely fixed onto OLE in a
live railway environment with findings expected to be published
by March 2021.
Transport Secretary
said:
“It is just not good enough that passenger’s mobile
connectivity experience is still poor, blighting our efforts
to work, shop and communicate on everyday journeys.
“By harnessing innovation and updating existing
infrastructure, we can build the railway of tomorrow and find
affordable solutions to improve travel for passengers. I urge
telecom operators to match our ambition, and we can commit to
working closely together to design equipment and move forward
in the next stage of this exciting trial.”
Charlene Wallace, Network Rail’s director of
passenger and customer experience, said:
“We are keen to work with government and train and telecom
operators to deliver more consistent and reliable mobile
coverage that improves passengers’ journeys in an efficient
and affordable way.
“Today’s report highlights how the railway can share its
electrical infrastructure assets to deliver a better
service, and we are delighted that funding has been made
available to test solutions at our Rail
Innovation & Development Centres.
“This project, together with other steps we have taken –
increased seating at stations, improved facilities such as
free toilets and new water fountains, and greater
accessibility – will help to improve passengers’ journeys on
the rail network, particularly as we welcome more people back
to the railway in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Today’s news comes as Ofcom is set to publish on Monday updated
advice on suitable bands for trackside WiFi connectivity,
supporting Government efforts to improve connectivity on the
railway.
It also coincides with further research commissioned by the
Department, published today by Transport Focus, which shows
that rail passenger’s mobile connectivity experience is still
poor. The Transport User Panel Survey found the level of
satisfaction with connectivity on trains is generally low,
while the expectation of being connected is high.
, chief
executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus,
said:
“From helping plan journeys to working on the go, passengers
value being able to access internet on the move so they can
do something useful during travel time. However, Wi-Fi speed
and connectivity can be patchy.
“We know from our research that passengers now expect a
reliable connection and access to free Wi-Fi on trains, but
only three in ten are satisfied with the connection they
experience so they will welcome news of this trial.”
The Department is now working with Network Rail’s Rail
Innovation & Development Centres to identify a suitable OLE
to conduct the trial by March 2021 and welcomes the opportunity
to work collaboratively with telecom providers and participate
in testing different prototype antennas.
