Scottish rail operator ScotRail is bringing free WiFi to all of its ‘class 170’ express trains.
The company has been running a trial scheme on four trains since the summer. WiFi equipment will now be installed on 55 additional trains from March 2013 during planned weekend maintenance to avoid taking the trains out of service.
Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Transport in the Scottish government, said “We have an absolute commitment to bringing better connectivity to every corner of Scotland and I have been highly encouraged by the success of ScotRail pilot scheme. A major challenge for the transport industry is embracing new technologies to meet the demands of passengers and help them get on with their ever more busy lives while travelling. Just like our roads and railways, the internet is a vital part of Scotland’s infrastructure. It is essential that people throughout Scotland have online access to enable our economy to thrive, which is why we are already forming plans to further expand wi-fi provision across the rail network.”
Icomera, a Swedish company that specialises in internet connectivity for transport systems, has been awarded the contract to install the WiFi service. The service uses a number of mobile phone connections, splitting its available bandwidth across the networks.