During the morning of Sunday 26 November 2006, Gwent RAYNET members joined the North Wiltshire RAYNET Group for a communications exercise at the Box Railway Tunnel. Staff from the Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service also took part, both to test their communications and as a "tunnel familiarisation" exercise. The exercise was organised and co-ordinated by Network Rail.

As well as radio operators at "static" locations near the tunnel's East and West portals, five RAYNET members joined a team of around 30 people who were authorised to walk through the tunnel. During this walk, communications were tested to/from the stations at the portals. Additionally, Bath & North East Somerset RAYNET activated their radio station at Avon F&RS Command Centre in Lansdown, Bath.

The exercise proved extremely successful for RAYNET, with end-to-end communications established through the tunnel on 433MHz and 1297MHz, as well as unbroken communications with the RAYNET operators walking through the tunnel. Communications were also maintained successfully with the station at Lansdown, on 144MHz and 433MHz.

A full report, with pictures, is to be included in the January 2007 issue of Gwent RAYNET's newsletter, which should be available on our downloads page from the 2nd week of January.

[GW7BSC]