Commuters wait on a ThamesLink train at Elephant and Castle station in London on August 9, 2019. The ThamesLink was one of the trains affected by a communication outage on Friday morning. File Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE
Britain’s Network Rail said that a radio system fault that affected travel during rush hour around the country Friday morning has been repaired.
The nationwide radio system fault hampered the mode used by train drivers and signalers that allowed them to safely operate their systems and rail traffic in Britain. Advertisement
“There is a nationwide fault with the communication system used between train drivers and signalers,” Network Rail said, according to The Guardian. “As a result, service across the national rail network may be subject to disruption this morning.”
Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, and Southeastern Thameslink services all reported late services because of the delay. Passengers are asked to check for travel delays as the services catch up on service throughout the day.
Network Rail has blamed a part of computer hardware, called a network card, for the snafu. It was installed overnight at the communications hub in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, but failed. The card had to be replaced to help resolve the problem, Network Rail said.
Feng Li, a transportation expert with the City St. George, University of London, said the communication mishap should be a “wake-up call” about the country modernizing its rail system sooner than later before something more significant happens. Advertisement
“While countries like China have high-speed rail networks, 5G cov3rage in tunnels and underground networks, and satellite communications in remote areas, the UK remains reliant on outdated technology that is prone to failure,” Li told The Independent.
“This incident is a wake-up call to overhaul our approach to transport technology, embracing automation to ensure resilience, efficiency, and affordability. Continuing to tolerate this stagnation is no longer acceptable.”
