Better Mobile Cover Goes Live from O2 UK on East Coast Mainline

UK mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has announced a “major boost” to cellular connectivity on the mainline from London heading north. East Coast main line train operator, LNER, together with Network Rail and tech company Aureos, have completed the roll out of a new custom-built Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

The system covers the notorious “not-spots” in the two major tunnels at the entrance to Kings Cross terminus – “Gasworks” and “Copenhagen”. The new underground network will help offer a “more reliable and consistent mobile phone and on-train WiFi connection” said 02. The operator believes that thousands of its customers will now be able to keep their calls connected and meetings online as they approach and leave London King’s Cross station. According to O2, customers of Three UK will also benefit from the same improved connectivity in the coming weeks.

The antennas are said to have gone through “rigorous testing” at Network Rail’s Innovation and Development Centre and were fitted to the tunnels by rail connectivity and technology integration specialists, Aureos. The Gasworks and Copenhagen passageways are reportedly the first on the UK’s operational railway to benefit from this capability. The O2 statement said that it complements the work that Transport for London (TfL) are currently doing on the underground.

Dr Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said, “As part of our Mobile Transformation Plan, we are focusing investment into parts of the network that experience the highest levels of demand and areas where connectivity is most critical. Our work with LNER and Network Rail will bring reliable coverage to the Gasworks and Copenhagen tunnels and provide dependable connectivity to our customers in moments that matter.”

A recent survey of mobile coverage along the entire East Coast line by Streetwave, showed that some mobile users were without “essential mobile coverage” (taken to be connectivity of above 1Mbps download speeds, 0.5Mbps upload, and below 100ms of latency) – for almost half of the 4-hour 38 minute journey between Edinburgh and London. Whilst connectivity dropped regularly for every network, although those with EE appeared to suffer only 17minutes of no reception, whereas O2 and Three fared worse.

Trackside communications systems and LEO satellite-delivered broadband as ways of supplying better on-train WiFi will both feature heavily at this year’s Traincomms Conference in London (www.Traincomms.com ).

Traincomms 2025 is sponsored by Huber+Suhner, Westermo, Antonics, Galgus, Icomera and Nomad Digital.

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