Electrified Transpennine and a new era for connected rail infrastructure
After struggling through the pandemic, the rail industry has been given a ray of hope as the government is set to slowly ease public transport travel restrictions. This hint at a return to normality has been bolstered by recent investments in rail infrastructure that are setting the stage for a greener and more productive UK rail network.
One key highlight is a £600m pledge to overhaul the North’s rail network. As a key part of the nation’s ‘green recovery’, this funding will electrify the entire Transpennine railway, connecting West Yorkshire with Manchester. Rail electrification is seen as a crucial step toward carbon reduction and will play an important role in the country’s net-zero ambition. The project will also double the lines in congested areas to allow for overtaking and pave the way for longer and more frequent trains – increasing overall line capacity.
It is programmes like the Transpennine overhaul that make up Network Rail’s £10.1bn commitment to enhancing the UK’s railways between 2019 and 2024. These enhancements are set to include updates to more than two-thirds of the signalling network and, critically, provide the infrastructure for Big Data and communications.
At the heart of these connectivity developments is the desire to make rail travel more productive and enjoyable. We live in a digital world and yet we have all experienced the patchy mobile network and unreliable internet currently found on UK trains. The government has even acknowledged this shortcoming, with £200k of funding recently announced for the research and development of mobile antennas that attach to overhead line equipment. This could soon see commuters comfortably covered by the 5G network and internet speeds as high as 1Gbps.
It is not just passengers that will benefit from rail’s digitalisation. Through increased data collection, monitoring and Rail 4.0, the entire system will run more efficiently. Infrastructure development like this is not just crucial to shaping the rail industry’s future, but the way we commute and travel. With significant experience in both telecommunications and transport, alongside several current rail customers, CHH CoNeX is ideally suited to help the UK’s rail network reach its potential.
Having recently been announced as a preferred supplier for Siemens, we have already been providing Siemens Mobility with cable and loom assemblies for some time. Combine this with our Berthold Sichert preferred partnership for the supply of polycarbonate cabinets and it is clear that CHH is ready for the revolution of rail.
To bring our network into the connected world and achieve the sector’s roadmap for digital infrastructure, there is a need for new materials and technologies for trackside services. Nowhere will this be more important than data enclosures. Exposure to heavy vibrations and corrosive brake dust make it incredibly difficult to protect signalling and communications equipment in trackside environments. While cabinets are traditionally made from metal, corrosion and a lack of modularity have highlighted the need for an alternative.
At CHH, we can customise and configure polycarbonate cabinets to meet specific requirements, with their modular design ensuring that any future modification or upgrades can be easily made. Reconfiguring internal equipment or replacing damaged parts can be done on-site, without interruptions to rail services. Thanks to reduced weight, the polycarbonate cabinets do not require a concrete base, making installation much simpler.
With equivalent strength, flame resistance and no corrosion, polycarbonate cabinets are far more appropriate for rail communications infrastructure. When compared to metal, polycarbonate cabinets are able to stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, while being chemically resistant to most acids, alkalis, rain and urine. Polycarbonate cabinets are also recyclable and can act as an electrical and thermal isolator.
Crucially, polycarbonate has no impact on the transmission of radio frequency signals, allowing 4G and 5G signals to pass through – unlike metal cabinets which block these frequencies. This means that polycarbonate cabinets can also be used to house sensors, collect data and transmit it to a monitoring system. Whether checking external conditions on rolling stock or for GPS and tracking purposes, the ability to easily transmit signals is essential to the digitalisation of rail.
As we invest heavily to bring our rail network into the twenty-first century, we must seek out new materials and improve our infrastructure to be more compatible with our ambitions. When it comes to 5G connectivity and communications upgrades, there are many clear benefits to using polycarbonate cabinets. Through electrification and the pursuit of Rail 4.0, we can connect the nation with a clean, efficient, and well-equipped rail service and finally meet the expectations of commuters, travellers, and tourists.