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Dept for Transport

Answer

Mrs. Calton: To 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. Jamieson: I 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 signallers within two seconds of an emergency, and also enable signallers to communicate with all trains in an area.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

104539; 405 c545-6W;405 c543-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Aerials Planning Railways Location Railway signals Telecommunications

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk