Written evidence submitted by Icomera UK Limited (RWB0049)

1.              Summary

1.1             Icomera has been contributing to consultations on rail reform since 2018 and, like many suppliers, wishes to see speedy resolution leading to meaningful market opportunities.

1.2             A previous submission to the Committee sets out the full story of digital connectivity on railways in Great Britain (GB) and the potential for the future.

1.3             The future structure of Great British Railways (GBR) must ensure that operating units are market-oriented and able to procure the best solutions for their customers rather than waiting for all-embracing mega-projects.

1.4             While the present Government has made positive announcements this year on digital connectivity, the previous Government’s approach has left order books dangerously thin for suppliers.

1.5             The future access regime should not be designed to drive innovative open access operators off the GB railway network.

1.6             Future digital strategies must properly take account of devolved rail operators, looking for common technologies and economies of scale where possible.

2.              Introducing Icomera

2.1              Icomera AB was founded in Sweden in 1999 to bring the digital technology revolution to public transport.  Since our first UK deployment with GNER in 2004, we have become GB’s market leader, acquiring in 2019 Derby-based engineering consultancy DG8 to strengthen our capabilities and, in 2020, London-based GoMedia, the world leader in public transport infotainment.

2.2              With our technology deployed on over 16,000 vehicles across the UK and employing more than 150 people in four UK offices, Icomera is now part of Equans which was purchased by Bouygues in 2022, making our company the key transport technology provider within the largest overseas-based UK employer.

2.3              We have a vital interest in UK rail with our focus on providing innovative technologies and systems serving customers and operators.  To that end, we engaged with the previous UK Government’s Williams Review from 2018 and welcomed its Rail in the future transport system evidence paper.  Other consultations responded to included the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) Call for Evidence for the Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP) and that from the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2021 on rail legislation, where we explained that the previous UK Government’s reform process was adding to complexity and uncertainty for us in investing.

2.4              In January 2024, Icomera submitted evidence to the Independent Rail and Urban Transport Review led by Juergen Maier at the request of the then Shadow Transport Secretary.  Following the election of the Labour Government, we responded in March 2025 to its consultation in preparation for the now published Railways Bill which will establish its own version of GBR.  In addition, we had also responded to the DfT’s consultation on the proposed Integrated Transport Strategy for England and the Department for Business & Trade’s consultation on the Modern Industrial Strategy.

2.5              In February, Icomera submitted extensive written evidence to the Committee’s inquiry into ‘Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust’.  That evidence provided a detailed explanation of how Wi-Fi and other digitally connected services work, the opportunities for customers and operators presented by the latest versions of the technology and the obstacles to its deployment, as well as our anxieties around the anticipated new management structure for the railways in GB.  That evidence may be viewed here: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/136899/pdf/.

2.6              It is, therefore, entirely consistent with our high degree of engagement with rail reform and the development of industry strategies that Icomera should respond to the present Call for Evidence from the Committee.  Nevertheless, the effort we have expended on contributing to multiple consultations by two successive governments since 2018 is not yet matched by a corresponding volume of orders for our technology and we sincerely hope that publication of the Railways Bill marks a transition from review into action.

2.7              We have considered the three questions asked by the Committee in its current Call for Evidence and are pleased to have the opportunity to make the following points reflecting developments since February.

3.              Improving rail travel for passengers

3.1              Train Operating Companies (TOCs) – whether run on behalf of the DfT, the Scottish and Welsh Governments, city region governments or independently - have come to understand over the past twenty years the role of connected services in growing customer numbers and revenue.  We are keen to see the innovative approach of the TOCs continued under the proposed new rail structure set out in the Railways Bill.  This is because our original objective of simply providing Wi-Fi to passengers has expanded into utilising digital connectivity to deliver a wide range of customer-focused, operational and safety and security services vital to a modern commercial railway.

3.2              In our responses to legislative consultations undertaken by the present and previous Governments, we have expressed concern that Great British Railways will be built out from Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (NRIL) rather than established as a new body.  The reason for our concern is that, over the past 20 years, NRIL has proved to be far less agile and effective in delivery of digital connectivity than the TOCs. 

3.3              Its response to the consultation shows the present Government wedded to the principle of GBR being based upon NRIL, in which case we reiterate our view that governance by the Secretary of State, GBR’s licence and the more limited future scrutiny by the Office of Rail & Road needs to ensure that GBR does not seek one-size-fits-all digital solutions for passenger train operations.  GBR must take account of varying needs in different passenger markets and the flexibility of suppliers such as Icomera to deliver the right solutions quickly.

3.4              There have been several encouraging developments in our key British market during 2025, notably pledges in the summer by HM Treasury and the DfT to invest £41 million in turbocharging connectivity to trains from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and backing for Network Rail’s ‘Project Reach’ to boost lineside connectivity.  Neither technology will be useful to passengers and operators, however, without the antennae, digital equipment and software to connect users with the networks – the technology provided by Icomera.

3.5              Yet the uncertainty left by the previous Government continues to harm us.  Procurements by operators which should have begun back in 2023 and were postponed by previous Ministers’ fundamental review of Wi-Fi provision have been so greatly delayed that Icomera finds itself running out of work, just at the very time that the new administration has taken bold decisions to kickstart train connectivity.  Despite a bright horizon, we have reluctantly been forced to institute redundancies at our Chatham HQ of people with the skills which will be needed when the orders arrive.

3.6              We ask the Committee to make clear to the Government that it should use its increasing authority over train operators either in public ownership or delivering National Rail Contracts to accelerate digital procurements so that Icomera can maintain continuity for our employees and deliver faster benefits to passengers.

3.7              Icomera is largely agnostic on the particular institutions to be modified or established to meet the requirement for a new ‘Passenger Watchdog’.  Nevertheless, we would wish to see the scope for any such institution to include the availability, reliability and quality of digital connectivity on trains throughout the GB rail network.  It should be recognised that passenger Wi-Fi and related systems are increasingly regarded by passengers as integral to their reasons for choosing to travel by train and their degree of satisfaction during the journey.  The rail industry across North America is already notable for the inclusion of satisfaction with digital connectivity in monitoring customers’ views.

4.              Network Access

4.1              The degree to which GBR will be able in effect to allocate capacity to its own passenger services, possibly to the disadvantage of freight and open access passenger services or those under the control of Devolved Administrations, has become one of the flashpoint issues in the present reform process.

4.2              Icomera’s interest in the proposed access framework is derived from our support for growing use of the railways for both passenger and freight customers, generated in part though enhanced digital connectivity.  As described earlier in this submission, our experience is that operators with a strong commercial focus and competitive ethos are most likely to see the advantages of enhanced digital connectivity regardless of whether their ownership is in the public or private sector. 

4.3              Operators of this kind will tend not to rest on their laurels but instead to be constantly seeking ways to enhance speed, bandwidth and reliability for Wi-Fi users as well as accessing other operational, management and marketing benefits from the systems they have acquired.

4.4              The access framework described in the Railways Bill and the consultation response appears to be inspired more by a desire to ration access to scarce capacity on the railways – and thereby drive performance benefits – rather than make the network available to entrepreneurial operators.  The latter seem destined to wither away as their licences expire.

4.5              Icomera would not wish to see the emergence of an access regime which effectively drove the open access operators off of the GB rail network or closed down the possibility of new applications being granted in the future.

5.              Devolution

5.1              It is not just on fleets under the ultimate control of the DfT that digital connectivity has been deemed important.  Transport for London (TfL) has equipped all of its London Overground and Elizabeth Line trains in this way, as has the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) with its new Merseyrail train fleet.  New trains currently being introduced by Transport for Wales (TfW) are similarly fitted, although its legacy fleets – and those of Scotrail which was an early adopter – are now in need of system modernisation.

5.2              From our reading of the Railways Bill and the consultation response, there is more clarity than hitherto on the balance to be struck between a national railway system under a ‘directing mind’ and ‘Passenger-in-Chief’ and the increasingly powerful Devolved Administrations serving Scotland, Wales and, eventually, the whole of England when local government reform has been fully implemented.

5.3              There will similarly need to be a balance struck between having empowered, market-based GBR operator units with powers speedily to procure the right digital systems for their customers and the risk of a process which is so atomised that clear pathways for widespread and cost-effective adoption are lost.  Without careful thought in advance, this landscape could be made more complex as devolved forms of government seek to have ever greater control over the nature of locally-specified rail services.

5.4              Globally, we observe that German national railway operator DB has developed the most impressive innovation programme which strikes the right balance between these competing pressures and suggest that future GBR should investigate their processes.  Icomera would be pleased to facilitate such engagement.

6.              Conclusion

6.1              We trust that our submission with be useful to the Committee and stand ready to provide further information, attend hearings in person or facilitate site visits if these would be helpful.

November 2025