Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Develop plan for frequent collection and publication of UK rail network coverage data.
Conclusion
Progress in improving connectivity on UK railways has been hampered by a lack of up-to-date coverage data. Mobile connectivity along major rail routes remains poor and passengers can often struggle to make calls, stream videos or work online. Improving rail connectivity is very challenging, with tunnels, cuttings and safety glass on modern trains making reception difficult. It is also, according to the Department, expensive because it requires installation of infrastructure alongside the railway track. Improving connectivity on railways is the responsibility of the Department for Transport and proposals to improve mobile connectivity need to be judged alongside other priorities for investment on the railways. However, the data on rail mobile coverage that is available to inform these investment decisions is not fit for purpose. There is a lack of granular data showing, for example, mobile coverage for each metre of rail. The data is also out of date, with Ofcom publishing its last study on rail mobile coverage in 2019. Recommendation 6: Working with Ofcom and the Department for Transport, the Department should make a plan for more frequent collection of coverage data on the UK rail network to help it prioritise the rail lines where improvements in coverage is most needed. This information should be published on a regular basis so that rail travellers have clearer information on the coverage they will experience.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and has asked Ofcom to investigate using in-carriage scanners and crowdsourced data for rail connectivity. The Department for Transport has also commissioned a study using external scanners on engineering trains to establish baseline data by early 2025, with progress to be outlined in future Treasury Minute updates.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. the rail network in its annual Connected Nations report. To this end, the department asked Ofcom to investigate the feasibility of using in-carriage scanners and crowdsourced data to provide an overview of connectivity on the mainline routes. Ofcom are considering possible approaches to measuring mobile coverage and performance on trains. At the same time, the Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned a study using scanners fitted to the outside of Network Rail’s engineering trains to measure mobile signal strength on train routes. This exercise will finish in early 2025 and will help to establish baseline data for mobile coverage across the UK rail network. The department will outline progress on this matter in future Treasury Minute updates once the government’s work with Ofcom on reporting on rail connectivity, and the DfT’s initiative, have concluded.