The UK's Transport for London (TfL) is looking to overhaul its network and telecoms infrastructure in a massive project.

TfL published a preliminary market engagement notice on May 20 outlining its planned networking upgrade with a contract expected to be valued at around £1.5 billion ($2.02bn), including VAT.

TfL is a local government body responsible for the transport network in London, including the underground system, buses, and some overground rail lines.

The notice states that TfL has been "guided by an overarching strategy in relation to our data networks and telecoms services" since 2017, which has seen TfL modernizing and consolidating its infrastructure.

"While our strategy recommends that we consolidate to the greatest extent possible, it also recognizes that we operate in a number of very different environments and these may require different approaches to how services are delivered. 

"As such, the strategy has always envisaged the likely need for different delivery approaches (including how we contract services) for the delivery of our below-ground and above-ground data networks and telecoms services."

TfL goes on to state that it has two "key network and telecoms service categories" - the Access Network and Wide Area Network Contract, which covers "support for all head office buildings, connectivity to c. 6,000 operational locations (including traffic signals, CCTV cameras, bus stations, bus garages), London Underground (LU) Wi-Fi services, data center routing and switching capability, firewalls and WAN connectivity to cloud and Internet based services, as well as data network services to support revenue collection (including Road User Charging (RUC), Oyster and contactless payments)."

It also has the Connect Contract, which includes critical radio services for the London Underground, as well as "communication and connectivity services" that cover data network connectivity for all control centers, stations, and station staff in the underground.

The Connect Contact is currently provided by three data networks - MPLS, ATM, and SDH, but is being replaced by a "consolidated high capacity optical network."

The preliminary market engagement notice has been put out as both contracts are set to expire towards the end of this decade, thus TfL is "currently in the process of planning and preparing for the future re-procurement of our main data network and telecoms services."

TfL is planning a multi-lot procurement in the second half of 2026, and hopes the new contracts will improve security, increase agility in making changes, reduce the network's carbon footprint, and enable more efficient and effective data network operations management while being more cost-effective.

The contracts will likely be split into three lots - one covering the connectivity services, including WAN, LAN, and WiFi elements "below ground," the second to cover radio services, and the last to handle all above-ground services, including data center connectivity.

The contracts are expected to run between April 2029 and November 2035, with the potential to extend to November 2040.

A document suggests that Capita Access currently holds at least part of TfL's WAN contract, which was extended in 2023 for an additional three years.

In March 2025, UK communications regulator Ofcom set out a proposal to make the 1,900 to 1,920MHz band available for the UK's rail network and emergency services to enable the rollout of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS).

Towards the end of last year, TfL and Boldyn Network brought 4G mobile connectivity to the Elizabeth Line, London's newest trainline that runs both above and below ground.

Boldyn was awarded a 20-year concession by TfL in June 2021 to provide high-speed, 5G-ready mobile coverage across the entire London Underground network. On top of this network, UK operators Vodafone, Virgin Media O2, BT (EE), and Three are offering coverage.

EE went live with its 5G network in parts of the London Underground in February last year. EE owner BT's Wholesale unit is providing data center space to support Boldyn.

Once completed, Boldyn will have provided more than 2,000 kilometers of cabling, plus thousands of radios are expected to be installed within tunnels and stations.

Connectivity is essential for rail travel networks, as recently demonstrated in Spain when cable theft led to severe delays across the country's rail network. Signaling cable was stolen from four locations, delaying high-speed services between Madrid and Seville.

Similarly, in the UK, the National Rail service suffered issues with its radio system, causing delays across the country in December 2024.

April 2024 saw Malaysian mobile network operator YTL Communications awarded a contract to deploy fiber optic infrastructure along 1,600km (994 miles) of railway tracks from Perlis to Johor and Kelantan in the country.