Under the £3.55bn project, Network Rail plans to build a new track and stations; extend platforms and improve signalling on the Thameslink route that passes from Kentish Town in the North, through St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars stations, to London Bridge, Elephant & Castle and Herne Hill stations in the South.
Under the multi-million contract, telent will install an upgraded communications network to support a new signalling system. It will also provide new communications facilities for operational staff and emergency services, install new trackside telephones, tunnel radio systems and associated fibre and copper data cable networks.
Steve Pears, general manager of telent’s rail division, said: The Thameslink route is one of the busiest in the UK and is required to remain in operation during the upgrade. This places additional responsibilities on the team to ensure that the travelling public are not inconvenienced during the upgrade work. Network Rail’s choice of telent for this challenging project underlines their trust and confidence in our capabilities.
Earlier in 2008, Network Rail became the first client to order GSM-R handsets from telent. Telent has delivered 2,000 GSM-R handsets to provide radio communication service to trains operating on the West Coast Mainline.
