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Telematics – an intelligent future, like it or not
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Aug/Sept 2008
Train companies join Airwave public safety comms network
Southeastern and South West Trains, two of Britain's franchised mainline train operators, have decide to link their security officers into the Airwave TETRA-based digital public safety communications network. They are thought to be the first to have taken this step. They say the system will improve direct radio contact between security staff on patrol, as well as allowing inter-communication with the British Transport Police 'in certain agreed and pre-defined circumstances'. Prior to this development, rail security officers relied on mobile phones to communicate with each other in the field. In some instances this proved to be inefficient because of patchy coverage, as well as being fundamentally insecure. The deployment is expected to enable the rail security officers to instigate an arrest on the rail networks much more quickly than was possible in the past. 
According to Southeastern's head of crime and security, Paul Nicholas: 'It was clear that the communication between our railway enforcement officers and the British Transport Police was less than optimal.' South West Trains' head of security and crime prevention, Stuart Giddings, adds: 'I am confident that this deployment will É dramatically enhance our integrated approach to joint operations.
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