Signalling and Telecoms

The demand for 24/7 Wi-Fi connectivity from rail passengers finally led to the announcement by the UK government in 2017 of its plans to modernise telecommunications and provide uninterrupted connectivity on main routes.

To ensure technicians and engineers can meet this ambitious target, NTAR has developed a qualification, suitable for both industry and ex-forces, that will equip the railway’s telecoms experts with the technical knowledge and relevant skills to achieve the government's connectivity plans. Below is a list of both pathways a learner may take and what a learner can expect from this course.

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Open Awards Level 3 Award in Fibre Optics Installation and Testing (RQF)

Open Awards Level 3 Award in Copper Datacoms Cable Installation and Testing (RQF)

Telecoms Power course

This course introduces learners to the installation, testing, and maintenance of fibre optic networks.

This course aims to introduce learners to copper cabling installation, termination, and testing.

This course aims to introduce trainees to maintenance, diagnostics and repair procedures for Telecoms power supplies.

  • Plan a maintenance activity

  • Maintain a battery pack

  • Maintain a rectifier

  • Maintain an inverter

  • Maintain a standalone UPS

Attendees will:

• Understand light transmission and fibre optic terminology

• Work safely with optical fibres and network components

• Prepare, join, and fusion splice fibre optic cables

• Perform standard tests and OTDR measurements on fibre systems

Attendees will:

  • Understand basic electrical theory with reference to data communications cabling

  • Work safely with copper cabling in an
    internal environment

  • Plan installation of a copper datacoms link

  • Be able to install copper datacoms cabling,
    in accordance with current standards

  • Be able to terminate copper datacoms
    cabling

  • Be able to Test FTP, UTP and multicore
    copper links

  • Diagnose failures on battery pack

  • Evaluate system operation

  • Rectify failures on battery pack

    There is much more to learn on the course but this has been a short overview of what you will learn.

432 Ribbon Fibre

432 Ribbon Fibre is the future of fibre optic telecommunication and is being implemented as part of Network Rail’s bold ‘Project Reach’ programme.

This course aims to introduce learners to 432 ribbon fibre and provide hands on learning for splicing, jointing and testing of ribbon fibre cable joints.

  • Build a 432-ribbon fibre joint

  • Theoretical training around types of Ribbon fibre

  • How to use ribbonising tools (Making single fibre into ribbon fibres)

  • How to splice ribbon fibres

Telecoms Maintenance and Failure Investigation (TMT-FIP)

Learners will be taught how to investigate failures around telecoms used on the railway and how to maintain essential telecoms equipment

  • Learners will understand how to follow the failure process

  • Learners will be taught how to use the TMT-FIP booklet for railway telecoms maintenance

OTDR Training

Students will learn how to use a OTDR (Optical Time Doman Reflectometer) to test fibre cables.

  • Learners will be taught what OTDR is?

  • How to use OTDR in testing fibre cables

  • How to interpret OTDR results

Fibre Optic Splicing, Termination, and Testing Unit

This course aims to introduce learners to the various fibre optic cable used within the rail industry

  • Work safely when working with optical fibre cables

  • Route armoured and double insulated super armoured cable optical fibre cables in specified work environment approved containment

  • Prepare optical fibre cables for jointing and termination

  • Use cleaving and splicing techniques for both single and multimode fibre cables

  • Seal and label specified work environment telecoms enclosures

  • Use correct specified work environment procedures for fibre testing

  • Prepare optical test and optical component cleaning equipment

  • Apply optical time domain reflectometer set up parameters for bi-directional testing and fault finding

  • Use optical time domain reflectometer distance markers and fault procedures