Network Rail chooses to ride with BT

Network Rail has signed a three-year 30 million contract with BT that will see the telecoms giant provide a new IP network with voice and data communication services.

The deal will involve much of Network Rail's legacy infrastructure being replaced with new fixed line voice and internet services. It covers all of Network Rail's sites, which include offices, control centres, depots, signal boxes and level crossings. Until the IP network goes live, BT will provide a voice and data wide area network.

BT said the new network will provide Network Rail, which manages over 20,000 miles of railway track and handles three million train customers each day, with significantly more reliable communications.

Network Rail is closely watched by the government as well as rail regulators. The new contract comes on a day when Network Rail chiefs in Wales promised to improve performance after repeated failures, cancellations and delays.

"We are delighted to secure this contract with Network Rail," said John Dovey, president for UK corporates at BT Global Services.

"It is an organisation that is subject to more public scrutiny than most and its technology infrastructure needs to be reliable, cost effective and fit for the challenges of the future. The new IP network will be central to bringing this vision to life."

The new network will also be integrated into a fixed telecoms network (FTN) project, where 16,000 km of copper cabling and 11,000km of fibre optic cabling will be renewed and replaced. This is all in aid of building a new digital driver-to-signaller radio system.

Network Rail director of information management Catherine Doran said: "We chose BT as we were impressed by its strong customer service orientation and competitive pricing. We are looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership in the coming years."