Elizabeth Line passengers in Central London may use mobile networks

Elizabeth Line[1] passengers can now keep in touch while on the move in Central London[2] after mobile coverage was extended to four stations for the first time.

Bond Street[3], Tottenham Court Road[4], Farringdon[5] and Liverpool Street[6] are some of the busiest station in Central [7].

Mobile coverage is available in ticket halls, connecting corridors and platforms at the [8] stations. The whole of [9] station now has mobile coverage, with plans to extend coverage to the Central Line[10] and then on the the Jubilee Line[11] at [12] during 2o24.

All four mobile network operators – Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) – are involved in the rollout. The collaboration has already seen 4G delivered on sections of the Jubilee, Northern and Central lines.

The extended coverage allows people to keep in touch with others whilst travelling but it also provides additional reassurance to the travelling public. It will also enable the new Emergency Services Network (ESN).  When this becomes fully operational, first responders will be able to access immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies.

Transport for London[13] (TfL) and Boldyn Networks will work over [14] and the early New Year to expand coverage to further stations on the Elizabeth Line, as well as to the tunnelled sections. Boldyn Networks can now deliver 4G and 5G coverage to the tunnelled sections, rather than just 4G coverage as previously announced.

By the end of spring 2024, the whole of the 73 miles of the Elizabeth Line, which connects Reading[15] and [16] with [17] and Abbey Wood[18] via the West End, will have mobile coverage.

In recent months, further sections of the Tube have also been provided with 4G and 5G coverage, which is now available on the Central Line[19] between Holland Park and Queensway as well as between Bond Street and Chancery Lane.

The service is also available on the Northern Lin[20]e between Belsize Park, Archway and Tottenham Court Road. This means that around 20% of Tube stations with underground platforms that are underground now have mobile coverage. In all, two thirds of the network now has mobile coverage when the above-ground sections are taken into account along with the new under-ground provision.

Passenger using laptop on Bond Street station A passenger uses a laptop on Bond Street Elizabeth Line station // Credit: TfL

By spring, the first stations on the Bakerloo, Victoria and Piccadilly lines will have mobile coverage in stations and within tunnels in central London, meaning that around 40 stations with platforms that are under ground as well as connecting passageways, will have mobile coverage.

Boldyn Networks is also working to bring mobile coverage to the southern end of the [21], with the first sections going live during summer 24, and more widely across Central London, with a significant proportion of the entire Tube network (around 80 per cent of stations across the network) and the Elizabeth line, having mobile coverage by the end of 2024.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “I am delighted to see the promise I made of delivering 4G and 5G across our transport network continuing to progress, with four busy Elizabeth line stations – Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, [22] and Liverpool Street joining an ever-growing network of lines and stations with full connectivity.

“The new mobile coverage at these stations will be a major boost for those travelling around London – connecting key business centres and some of the popular parts of Central London and the West End. It will help Londoners and visitors to the capital to better navigate the capital and stay connected underground. Growing numbers of underground Tube stations now have 4G and 5G services, with many more to come as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: “I'm delighted that the first stations on the Elizabeth line now have high-quality mobile coverage. This is a vital project for London, allowing customers to be more connected underground and get the latest travel information and news, as well as stay in contact with work, friends and families while travelling on our network. Our engineers will be working closely with Boldyn Networks over Christmas and throughout 2024 to expand coverage to more stations and tunnels across London, and we remain committed to having a significant proportion of the entire Tube network connected by the end of 2024.”

Billy D'Arcy, CEO of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks, said: “Our work with TfL across the transport network has rapidly accelerated this year and we are excited to announce this further expansion of high-speed mobile connectivity ahead of the festive period. This is another important milestone in our mission to deploy a new digital infrastructure across London that connects businesses and people, and helps to make the city a safer and smarter place to live, work and travel.”

Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of the New West End Company said: “In today's world, an uninterrupted connection is an expected part of any visitor experience, and we are thrilled that visitors to the West End can now enjoy nearly full coverage at both Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations.

During the busy festive season in particular, the ability to seamlessly chart a route from shop to shop, book a last-minute table or coordinate a meeting point with friends and family using mobile coverage underground will be a welcome benefit. And the best part is, upon leaving the station, visitors can continue to save their data by jumping on our super-fast, free street Wi-Fi.”

The project is being implemented by Boldyn Networks, one of the world's leading neutral host network providers, who was awarded a 20-year concession by TfL in June 2021 to deliver high speed, 5G-ready mobile connectivity across the entire [23] network. Boldyn Networks, formerly BAI Communications, is installing a fibre backbone across the capital to improve connectivity both above and below ground, bringing wide reaching socio-economic benefits to local businesses and communities.

Around 500 people are working overnight across the Tube network to install mobile equipment, with all works needed to be tidied away before the network opens for customers every morning. Once fully delivered, more than 2,000 kilometres of cabling as well as thousands of radios are expected to be installed within tunnels and stations, all of which will be fitted outside of operational hours.

For more information, please visit tfl.gov.uk/get-online

David Hennessy, Chief Technology Officer at Three UK, said: “We are pleased to bring 4G coverage to the Elizabeth Line and five more stations including Chancery Lane. Our customers can now stay connected at more than 20 stations with the ambition to cover the majority of the TFL network by the end of next year.”

References

  1. ^ Elizabeth Line (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  2. ^ Central London (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  3. ^ Bond Street (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  4. ^ Tottenham Court Road (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  5. ^ Farringdon (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  6. ^ Liverpool Street (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  7. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  8. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  9. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  10. ^ Central Line (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  11. ^ Jubilee Line (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  12. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  13. ^ Transport for London (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  14. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  15. ^ Reading (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  16. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  17. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  18. ^ Abbey Wood (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  19. ^ Central Line (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  20. ^ Northern Lin (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  21. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  22. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  23. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)

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