Calling all photographers!

[alrea1]

Hello everyone! Bit of a random question, but I was hoping that someone on this forum might be able to help…

Has anyone here come across a unit that looks a like this? Xccc
(It’ll be mounted on the roof of the train)



Or this:
(Mounted on a pole or gantry by the trackside)


I think they’ve now been rolled out to some trains on the SWR network, but they might be more widespread. I’m one of the engineers that designed them and I'm trying to get some good quality photos for a case study. Or even a point towards the right locations/railway lines would be really helpful!

If anyone’s interested, they’re 5G antennas responsible for the better Wi-Fi speeds on trains!

Thanks
Alex

 

[Robin Edwards]

The Class 444 Wessex units seem to have something similar??

 

[rf_ioliver]

The trackside unit looks like a base station (GSM-R, LTE-R,5G ?). Don't recognise the model nor manufacturer though, so might be wrong.

 

[swt_passenger]

The trackside unit looks like a base station (GSM-R, LTE-R,5G ?). Don't recognise the model nor manufacturer though, so might be wrong.

But fortunately the OP must already know what they are as he stated that he designed them. He’s asking if anyone has decent photos…

 

[alrea1]

Thanks for the responses! I’ll take a look at the Wessex units.

Yeah, it’s a 5G base unit, they should be positioned at regular intervals where the new network has been rolled out, but I’ve not been able to track down a location yet

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for the responses! I’ll take a look at the Wessex units.

Yeah, it’s a 5G base unit, they should be positioned at regular intervals where the new network has been rolled out, but I’ve not been able to track down a location yet

There’s a web page here with photos, reckons they’re fitted between Basingstoke and Earlsfield:

ABOUT THE PROJECT
The scope of this project is the provision of 58 off new trackside 5G Antennas and their associated ancillary equipment over approx. 70Km of Railway, starting around Earlsfield Station and go through to Basingstoke Station. All the works are along the BML1 line – from 5m 65ch to 47m 23ch

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Works undertaken by Sunville Rail included;
• Installation of 58 piled 5G connectivity masts approx. 1km apart
• Retaining wall structures around 32 piled masts
etc etc…

https://sunvillerail.co.uk/projects/5g-piling/linbrooke%20project%20profile.pdf

 

[Waterlemon]

Have SWR switched it on yet? I think I saw some documentation that said it would be happening August 2024 but nothing seems to have changed and they surely would have announced it.

 

[stuving]

This is the Blu system, isn't it? We had a thread about that earlier on here, but had not seen anything saying it was in operation yet.

 

[alrea1]

Yeah, it's the Blu system. They've done a trial, which I heard went well, but I don't know if it's operational now or if it's been extended to any more of the network.

Thanks so much for the links, great to see some pictures of it installed! Will have to stop by next time I'm in the area and take a look

 

[Vexed]

Ah, that's great to hear it's a 5G project. I've wondered myself what the trackside things were but never managed to get a good enough photo to ask on here. Hopefully it gets extended towards Southampton as the signal gets quite spotty around Winchester, worse than the signal I get at the moment in the trial area without them switched on (apparently).

So is it opened up to VMO2/EE/Three like TfL or just for on train WiFi? Seems to be just WiFi from what I read but this seems a bit of a missed opportunity if so.

 

[stuving]

Ah, that's great to hear it's a 5G project. I've wondered myself what the trackside things were but never managed to get a good enough photo to ask on here. Hopefully it gets extended towards Southampton as the signal gets quite spotty around Winchester, worse than the signal I get at the moment in the trial area without them switched on (apparently).

So is it opened up to VMO2/EE/Three like TfL or just for on train WiFi? Seems to be just WiFi from what I read but this seems a bit of a missed opportunity if so.

Based on what was said earlier by SWR and others, it's not 5G in any sense. It's high capacity mm-wave backhaul for on-board WiFi.

 

[rmHawk765]

I do wonder if this equipment has been designed with use for rail communications in the future in mind as that is one of the options currently put forward for a possible GSM-R replacement in future.