Bicester to Bletchley 5G Rail Corridor

This project is focused on delivering connected trackside private 5G along East West Rail, a new section of rail network under construction between Bicester and Bletchley.

This project is focused on delivering connected trackside private 5G along East West Rail, a new section of rail network under construction between Bicester and Bletchley.

Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council, and Buckinghamshire Council have previously invested in commissioning Network Rail to install 432 fibres along the new track, for use by the public sector.

These works include eight break-out points with fibre cabinets (and power) outside of the actual fenced ‘red zone’. ECH plans to use some of these breakout points to provide backhaul for a private 5G network along this new section of track, with potential opportunity to expand in the future to a public network.

Our focus is on deploying 5G along sections of this new line where there is currently limited or poor mobile connectivity. Working with the Train Operating Company and Network Rail we will improve passenger connectivity as well as deliver functional improvements for onboard devices:

Significantly, we also want to use this trackside private 5G to provide connectivity options for trackside neighbours including public services providers, rural businesses and potentially communities. Our goal is to provide a platform to enable innovation and new thinking, from tackling rural ‘not-spots’ to developing new commercial models for deploying this type of trackside solution.

This will enable us to create vertical stacked use-cases which combine income generated by four possible revenue streams, to help justify investments in other trackside locations across the region and the UK as a whole:

• Passenger connectivity via onboard Wi-Fi.
• Network Rail operations for offloading IoT data collected onboard as well as supporting the new maintenance depot planned to be built at Calvert.
• Mobile coverage for trackside farms for Agri-Tech applications.
• Residential and Business Park broadband services via 5G or Fixed Wireless Access Services.

Tackling train passenger connectivity is a complex undertaking, both technically and commercially. There are uncertainties around whether the most appropriate solution is via a train operating company driven Wi-Fi service or if the Department for Transport will defer to Mobile Network Operators providing coverage via mast infrastructure. Significantly, both solutions depend on mobile mast infrastructure so identifying a sustainable and scalable funding model will be of high importance to rail users, government and UK Plc.