Freight Train Electronic Jamming or Coincidence?

I am not going to claim conspiracy outright, but here is something, a coincidence perhaps, but interesting in its timing.

Lately, I have noticed a lot of freight activity in my area over here in the UK. Usually, I’ll see perhaps one freight train every 1.5 to 2 months. However, in the past two weeks I have seen about 3 or 4, very long freight trains travelling around during my morning and evening commutes. This in itself is no big deal, as we are headed toward Christmas and, no doubt, businesses need their stock, though I don’t recall this much freight activity last year, and considering THIS year we’re in a recession…

…anyway, this isn’t the weird part. The last time I saw one of these freight trains coming, I though, “hey, I’ll just take some pictures of it on my mobile phone’s camera.” (Because I don’t see the freight trains often.) My phone was off, but I turned it on before the train had gotten to me, but it, very unusually, was not working properly. I turned it back off and on again, but by the time it was completely turned on and ready to go, the train was gone. Thought no further of it besides, of course, the phone acting up, which it never does.

This morning, before I left the house, my phone was working properly. While I was stood on the platform, it was working properly. I saw the signals go off for an oncoming train in the opposite direction I was going to be travelling and knew it would be a freight train, because there were no scheduled trains in that direction…so, anyway, I pulled my mobile phone out to get a picture, again, I thought it was weird that there were so many freight trains, and besides, if it ended up being a military freight train, it could be interesting…I had seen one completely unmarked freight train go by the other week…

Anyway, wouldn’t you know it, but my mobile phone was acting up again. It said “Check SIM”…the SIM was installed fine…the train went by…and as soon as it was in the distance…my mobile phone started working properly.

Now, I’m not saying that there was some sort of electromagnetic interference emanating from the trains making my mobile phone with a camera in it not work properly…but I do think it is an interesting coincidence. If it had happened once, it would have been nothing, odd because my phone never has error messages of any kind, but nothing to write about.

…the freights, if anyone is interested, were labelled. Some were General Electric, some were something that was like GBi or something similar, and a few were ARR, or something as such, and 3 were unlabelled…bad memory for those details, besides, I was trying to get my phone to work..

Anyone else experienced any similar coincidences of electrical communication devices not working properly around freight trains or convoys?

Is it possible that one of these is installed on the train to discourage cell phone usage, or to stop the conductor from using his cell and possibly having an accident?

Cell Jammer

In the introduction it mentions trains. I know a guy that owns his own business, he could not keep his employees from getting and making personal calls on business time. He installed one of the high power cell phone jammers at his office.....no no one can get or make personal cell calls within a pretty good distance of the office.

I recently visited Washington DC. On one afternoon decided to go for a stroll around White House. It was a sunny afternoon so I took a few pictures in the Lafayette park, just in front of the White House. Hours later, both my camera and mobile phone stopped working!! My digital camera has never come back on again. My cell phone kept asking for the SIM card to be inserted etc. and now has 'recovered'.
It may be a co-incidence, but I am wondering if my electronic devices were zapped by some electronic jamming around White House.
Security is important but I wish if this is the case, then the authorities should put warning signs up telling visitors that their equipment may be affected.
I wonder if any one has had a similar experience.

reply to post by desertdreamer


A cell jammer shouldn't affect the camera or any of the other functions on the phone - it will only affect the network coverage, ie there will be none. Some phones could freeze up but I don't see why, should just show 'no signal' or 'no network coverage'

madhatr137, just out of interest what phone do you use. Possible could be a bluetooth function that is not advertised, certain bluetooths can 'switch on' when they are selected to be off, and then do things like turn the phone off - cinemas were gonna start using this function but they wern't allowed to. Hackers love that sort of thing, thats why I never have anything important on my phone (apart from numbers and a few pics - can't help that)

Two thoughts come to mind immediately.

Cell phone blocker or jammer for reasons already stated above.

Second is radio tracking used to track the train and it is using a frequency very close to your cell phone or on a harmonic of your cell phone. There are transponders not only in airplanes, but also trains and most commercial ships, now. A person with the right radio and a little software can plot these using Google Earth.

Search wacars for planes.

Here is an article about trains. It's an old article, but you see how the system works.

Here is some info on ships.

reply to post by madhatr137


Ah now this sounds interesting.. Its often little details like this that can often lead to new mysteries. As in this case all we need to do is to first establish for certain that some freight trains *do* employ such technology that indirectly or directly interfere with mobile phones.

May I suggest the OP takes a different make of phone along with his regular phone when he commutes in future. If we can establish that there is some kind of electrical/magnetic interference emanating from some of the freight trains we can then go to the next stage of finding out what kind of trains exhibit this effect and how widespread across the country this technology in freight trains might be in use at the moment.

Of course all this might be nothing more than a faulty mobile phone, but its worth checking all the same.

reply to post by madhatr137


All communications are now done by radio and other wireless means, which may interfere with your cellphone. The telegraph lines have not been used for a long time, and many lines have removed them to recycle the copper wire.
Freight trains are on the rise, as newer methods are used to ease the truck congestion on the roads. In the US, many route lines are getting second and third tracks added to help with the increased traffic.
People want their flat screen TVs and fresh fruit, so the rails are upping that kind of freight also.