A new partnership between Network Rail, Neos Networks and Freshwave has been launched to tackle the worst signal blackspots on Britain’s major rail arteries.
Project Reach will upgrade Britain's key rail telecoms infrastructure, benefitting millions of rail passengers, establishing the beginnings of a new high-capacity telecoms infrastructure for Great British Railways to build upon, and supporting the digital ambitions of the nation’s businesses.
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said, “This partnership marks a significant step forward in improving the UK's rail infrastructure. By enhancing connectivity and addressing signal blackspots, we are ensuring that passengers experience a more reliable and efficient service. This initiative not only benefits rail users, but also supports our broader goals of economic growth and digital innovation.”
The project will initially result in Neos Networks deploying 1,000 kilometres of fast, high-count fibre optic cable laid along lengths of the East Coast Main Line (the route from King’s Cross to Newcastle), the Chiltern Main Line and part of the West Coast Main Line to Manchester (the route from Marylebone to Birmingham and then via the West Midlands to Stafford and on to Manchester) and the Great Western Main Line (the route from London to Cardiff). There is an ambition to grow the network to beyond 5,000km in the future.
Jeremy Westlake, Network Rail’s chief financial officer, 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.“
Freshwave, working with the mobile network operators (MNOs), will initially deploy mobile infrastructure to tackle signal blackspots in 57 tunnels (covering almost 50km) and associated deep cuttings along the East Coast Main Line, the West Coast Main Line and the Great Western Main Line. This includes the 4km-long Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol and Gasworks and Copenhagen tunnels outside King’s Cross. Freshwave, and the MNOs, will also invest in new 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 Network Rail main line stations. This is a multi-year project with the first installation of mobile infrastructure expected to begin in 2026.
The enhanced network (currently 48 count cable, moving to 432 count) will also enable Network Rail to monitor railway assets more effectively and allow the rollout of new technologies that rely on better connectivity. This includes trackside sensors and CCTV applications, paving the way for a more joined-up railway with faster and more reliable train services for passengers, as well as improved safety for railway workers.
The project’s commercial model brings together public and private sector investment and infrastructure. This is expected to save taxpayers around £300 million, while delivering substantial benefits to rail users.
Neos Networks, backed by Infracapital and SSE, will deploy high-count fibre trackside in return for commercialising spare fibre, upgrading Network Rail’s critical telecoms infrastructure to provide future capacity required to enable a suite of digitally driven railway benefits. The scheme will also create a high-performing digital connectivity backbone for businesses, providing connectivity to data centres and high-performance edge facilities, supporting the UK's digital ambitions and driving innovation.
Lee Myall, CEO of Neos Networks, said, “Neos has a long-standing commitment to supporting Britain’s critical infrastructure, offering the most reliable and secure networks to our customers. We are thrilled to collaborate with Network Rail in modernising the UK’s infrastructure, paving the way for the country’s digital future.”
Freshwave will work with the MNOs to target investment to address mobile coverage not-spots in rail tunnels and upgrade wireless infrastructure at key railway stations, enabling MNOs to offer enhanced signal coverage for customers.
Simon Frumkin, CEO of Freshwave, said, “We’re delighted to be working with Network Rail and the mobile network operators to enhance mobile connectivity in some of the country’s busiest railway stations and main line tunnels. This will benefit millions of passengers and station staff across the UK. Investment in infrastructure is an investment in the country’s future and, as Freshwave’s Mobile Connectivity ROI Index indicated, billions of pounds could be added to the UK economy with enhanced indoor mobile connectivity.”
Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group (EE), said, “The ambition to further enhance mobile connectivity across the UK’s rail network is one that we share, having invested consistently and significantly in the nation’s travel infrastructure in recent years. Only by bringing the public and private sectors together can we fully deliver upon this common goal and so we’re excited by the potential that Project Reach’s collaborative approach brings.”
Dr Robert Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at O2, said “Virgin Media O2 is dedicated to delivering a consistently strong experience for our customers, wherever their journeys take them. Our £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan is focusing investment on parts of the network that experience the highest levels of demand and are the most critical. Railways are an important example of this and we are committed to improving the connectivity experience for the O2 customers that use them.”
Andrea Donà, chief network officer at VodafoneThree, said, “We believe the use of technologies such as 5G Standalone will increase productivity, reduce delays, and enable a smarter, more connected experience for those using our rail networks. Our £11 billion investment to build the UK’s best network has the potential to add £5 billion of economic value per year by 2030, so we understand how important national infrastructure projects of this type are, both to the wider economy and our society. We’re hugely supportive of Project Reach and look forward to seeing it progress.”