The Friends of the Far North Line
Cairdean Na Loine Tuath
the campaign group for rail north of
Inverness - lobbying for improved services for the local user, tourist and freight
operator
Since listening to Dr Robert Gardner at our AGM excitement has been mounting. It's good to know that work on technical approval to certify Starlink to rigorous rail standards- EN50155, EN50121, and EN45545, is well underway. Installation and testing on the first Class 158 unit follows. Once complete, the system can be deployed to the other five units involved in the test, ready for public use. In the very near future passengers on many FNL services will be enjoying faster internet speeds than they can access at home!
Clarus Networks Group, based in Bathgate, and working with ScotRail and the Scottish Futures Trust, is working on this proof-of-concept project. Railways across the UK and round the world, will be watching closely. As Clarus says, "Whether it's providing connectivity at level crossings, monitoring bridges, or supporting isolated signal boxes, Starlink offers a robust and reliable solution for maintaining communication across the entire rail network, ensuring that no critical point is left unconnected."
The transformation this technology will bring to railways in the Highlands in particular, and the rail network in general, goes far beyond the passengers' enjoyment of high-speed internet connections on trains. There are many other applications for the technology, including such vital activities as monitoring embankments for landslip in real time. By their nature the majority of track miles are not in cities and therefore has weaker communication systems, such as the mobile phone network, or physical links to the fibre-optic home and business networks. Indeed ScotRail is already using a Starlink connection to link the remote Corrour Station Help Point to the system.
Another good example of the possibilities opened up by this technology is the option to replace the current "fall-back" analogue links for the Far North Line's RETB signalling system between major nodes on the line, which are provided by the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This analogue system is being closed down in 2027. The option for the RETB system to transfer its fall-back links to Starlink services is likely to be far cheaper than the fibre optic PSTN replacement - a worthwhile saving on something which is only used in the unlikely event of an RETB mast losing its connection.