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.
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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.”
