Tube gets wireless network in £1.2bn PFI deal

London Underground has signed a £1.2bn deal with CityLink Telecommunications for its first integrated mobile communications network.

For the first time in its history, London Underground drivers, stations, depots and command centres will be able to communicate on a single radio network.

Called Connect, the project will include rolling out an optical fibre and digital radio network, which will be capable of handling video transmission.

CityLink Telecommunications, a consortium of companies, will be responsible for the PFI contract over the next 20 years.

Chris Best, project manager at London Underground, said: "It will mean that for the first time we have a single radio system covering any aspect of our operations. This will enable us to make some changes to the way we operate. It will allow us to improve safety and communications between our operational staff, as well as our ability to recover from, and manage, incidents, delays and anything affecting trains and station services."

Companies operating under the CityLink banner include Fluor Global Services, Motorola and Racal.

Racal Translink will design and supply the transmission network while Motorola will be responsible for the digital radio system. Engineering and construction specialists, Fluor Global Services, will oversee the entire project.

To help reduce the cost, London Underground has already started looking for revenue opportunities.

Best said: "We have a number of possibilities being developed. Two of the most well developed at the moment are the use of mobile phones on our underground stations and also what we call projection advertising - the projection of moving pictures onto the walls of tunnels and stations."

"What we are trying to do is reduce the net cost of the contract to London Underground and thereby it'll save ours and taxpayers money," he added.