§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many 20 metre high telecommunication masts(a) have been erected and (b) are planned in each Network Rail area; and what the purpose is of the masts. [104539]
§ Mr. JamiesonI understand from Network Rail that to date no such masts have been erected. The following table from the company details the number of planned installations in each Network Rail zone:
Network rail zone Number of planned telecommunications masts East Anglia 137 Great Western 399 London North Eastern 307 London Underground 7 Midlands 177 North Western 226 Southern 380 Southern 380 Total 2,022 Network Rail advises that its national installation programme forms part of its new safety system known as the Global System for Mobile Communications—Railways, which will create the first national driver to signaller direct communication system. It will enable high priority emergency calls to connect drivers and 544W signallers within two seconds of an emergency, and also enable signallers to communicate with all trains in an area.