Antenna partner joins UK rail comms consortium

The Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways (SODOR) project is led by Canada’s CGI Group and backed by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the UK Space Agency, and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Beginning with pilot demonstrations in 2022, SODOR is aiming to dramatically improve connectivity for the UK’s rail network, including boosting WiFi and mobile phone coverage for passengers – even in tunnels and cuttings – and delivering accurate real-time information on train location and carriage capacity.

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“Satellites play a vital role in keeping people connected, but they can also help keep us safe by providing reliable communications links between trains, drivers and operators,” said Mike Rudd, head of Telecommunications at the UK Space Agency.

“This new project is a great example of the National Space Strategy in action, drawing on CGI’s expertise in satellite communications and working closely with our partners in the ESA to demonstrate how this technology could help supercharge mobile connectivity across the national rail network.”