Making Emergency Calls on the Underground is not possible – 112 vs 999
A warning about some misinformation being sent in spam emails after the London attacks:
*** The following information is incorrect ***
“If you travel to work on the tube please note the following information: if your mobile phone has no signal (so even if you were in a tunnel) if you dial 112 it diverts to a satellite signal and puts you through to the 999 call centre.”
“All phone companies have signed up and as it is a satellite service it also gives them a trace to you if you don’t know where you are.”
*** End of spam email ***
There is currently no way of making mobile phone calls of any kind whilst on a underground section of the london rail network. There are plans to introduce mobile phone availability underground, but that will not be in place until 2008. It does not matter what number you try and call.
Likewise anywhere else if your mobile phone cannot communicate with a base station there is no way of making phone calls either dialling 999 or 112.
To dispell the other myths about the “magical” 112 number, in the UK, it is no different to dialling 999. Both numbers are still routed to the same call centres as if you dialled 999 and you will not be charged for making calls to either, whether that is using a mobile phone; a home phone; or a pay phone.
If you don’t already have an ICE entry in your mobile phone: