Mobile signal coverage on key rail routes and stations across Britain is expectd to improve dramatically under a partnership between Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave.
Dubbed Project Reach, the programme will tackle long-standing mobile signal blackspots in tunnels and stations, enhance 4G and 5G connectivity on trains, and lay the foundation for better train performance and digital innovation across the network. The project is expected to save taxpayers around £300 million through a private investment model.
Initially, Neos Networks will deploy 600 miles of high-capacity fibre-optic cable along four major lines: the East Coast Main Line (King’s Cross to Newcastle), the Chiltern Main Line and part of the West Coast Main Line (Marylebone to Manchester), and the Great Western Main Line (London to Cardiff). There are ambitions to expand the fibre network to over 5,000km in future phases.
Freshwave, working with the UK’s mobile network operators, will focus on boosting mobile coverage in 57 tunnels spanning almost 30 miles—such as the Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol and the Gasworks and Copenhagen tunnels near King’s Cross. Freshwave and the MNOs will also install enhanced 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 Network Rail stations, with the first deployments expected from 2026.
The project will upgrade Network Rail’s current telecoms infrastructure from 48-count to 432-count fibre, supporting growing data needs of both rail operations and business users. This enhanced backbone is epected will allow better monitoring of rail assets through sensors and CCTV, improve passenger service reliability, and contribute to worker safety.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the agreement represents a “significant step forward” in addressing mobile blackspots and improving connectivity across the national rail network.
Jeremy Westlake, CFO at Network Rail, described the deal as an “innovative investment model” that enables faster infrastructure upgrades and offers substantial value for money while helping transition to a more digitally enabled railway under Great British Railways.
Neos Networks CEO Lee Myall said Project Reach will create “new data superhighways” to support the UK’s growing demand for connectivity, especially as AI and data centre capacity needs continue to rise.
Freshwave CEO Simon Frumkin said the initiative will improve connectivity for millions of passengers and staff and could unlock significant economic benefits.
BT Group’s chief networks officer Greg McCall praised the collaborative public-private approach, while O2’s director of mobile access engineering, Dr Robert Joyce, pointed to the alignment with its £700m Mobile Transformation Plan. VodafoneThree’s Andrea Donà highlighted the potential for 5G Standalone to deliver a more connected and efficient rail experience, noting the operator’s own £11bn investment in UK infrastructure.
The commercial model allows Neos to monetise spare fibre capacity while delivering essential upgrades for Network Rail. It also enables broader digital connectivity for UK businesses by linking to data centres and edge computing hubs, contributing to the government’s ambitions for a digitally connected economy.
