East Coast announces WiFi upgrade for its rail passengers

Train operator East Coast has announced plans to upgrade its on-board WiFi network, providing faster speeds and stronger signals for its passengers. 

In the wake of transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin’s plans to improve mobile reception on trains, East Coast announced that its upgrade, costing £2.2 million, will begin to roll out early next year. 

East Coast was the first UK train operator to offer WiFi on trains, back in 2003 and now its promised that its customers will be the first to benefit from Network Rail upgrades which will improve mobile reception on trains to. 

Read our guide to public WiFi networksEast Coast commercial and customer service director Peter Williams said: “We know that Wi-Fi is one of the key reasons why people choose to travel with us, instead of driving or flying.

“It’s vital that our system keeps up with rapidly rising demand from passengers, starting with a more reliable connection into the system from the moment their journey with us begins.

“The investment we are making will upgrade the consistency of the service, by replacing on-train servers, access points and switching equipment which is used to deliver Wi-Fi in every carriage.

“We want our passengers to feel at home whenever they travel with us. A key part of that is staying connected throughout the journey – that’s why we’re investing now to ensure our Wi-Fi users can look forward to a reliable connection and faster connection speeds in years to come.”

On Monday, plans to improve mobile reception on board the UK’s busiest rail commuter corridors were revealed. Network Rail is currently spending £1.9 billion on upgrading its broadband network which is set to be completed by Spring 2014. This will provide backhaul for mobile networks to use to improve coverage.