This paper was published in IRSE NEWS September 2017.

This paper presents some personal views and thinking about the future of transmission networks for signalling and signalling control systems on London Underground and other metro railway operators. The paper asks the question whether it is possible to migrate to a Common Shared Network (CSN) both wired and wireless that can support multiple networks with varying service level requirements belonging to other railway and non-railway users. The paper will also consider whether it is just about winning over the doubters or if there is a real technical challenge to be managed, leading to a question of when, rather than if, a common shared network can be implemented.

Whilst this topic has in the past been seen as controversial, the paper has been written with the intent of opening the debate to the wider railway industry, to aid a future networking strategy for signalling and other railway and non-railway systems.

We can’t carry on building island networks for signalling systems, in these cost pressured times we need to be doing more to save money and be more efficient with the networks we have and build. We also need to promote the use of telecoms engineers to design and build transmission access networks. We need to build
shared backbone networks, utilising the existing networks and assets.

In my opinion this needs an industry wide strategy, which draws on the experience of signalling and telecoms engineers, both within the client and delivery organisations. The future must be a Common Shared Network (CSN) for the future, but what steps do we take to achieve this and how long will it take? The first step must be to stop building island networks.

Finally we also need to embrace the benefits and value of what telecoms and enterprise engineering can bring to the signalling industry and the advances that can be made in technology to make signalling more cost effective.