A regular frustration in business is trying to make a phone call from the Liverpool to London train or trying to speak to someone who is on the Liverpool to London train… but a solution may be close. Tony McDonough reports

Few people in business have avoided the frustration of making a phone call from a train or speaking to someone on the train or maintaining a smooth internet connection.

However, the years of relying on train operators’ subs-standard network connections may be coming to an end. The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a public-private partnership to install ultra fast fibre optic cable across 1,000km of major rail lines.

As part of the deal commuters travelling on the West Coast main line between Liverpool and London will be able to “work seamlessly and stay connected” while seeing the elimination of mobile signal blackspots in tunnels.

Project Reach is an agreement between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave. It will initially see Neos Networks deploy 1,000km of ultra-fast fibre optic cable along the East Coast Main Line, parts of the West Coast Main Line and the Great Western Main Line.

Freshwave will tackle signal blackspots in 57 tunnels, covering almost 50 kilometres, including the four-kilometre-long Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol.

As part of the deal, mobile network operators will also invest in new 4G/5G infrastructure at 12 Network Rail stations including Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New St, Bristol Temple Meads, Edinburgh Waverley, Euston, Glasgow Central, King’s Cross, Leeds, Liverpool Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Paddington and Waterloo.

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Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “This is a game changer for passengers up and down the country and will revolutionise journeys from Paddington to Penzance and Edinburgh to Euston.

“By boosting connectivity and tackling signal blackspots, we are also ensuring a more reliable and efficient service. This means better journeys for passengers while supporting our broader Plan for Change goals of economic growth and digital innovation.”

This is a multi-year project with the first installation of mobile infrastructure expected to begin in 2026 and fully rolled out by 2028.