South Western Railway has confirmed all of its train stations on the network - including the Isle of Wight - now have Wi-Fi available.
A total of 187 stations on the South Western Railway (SWR) network now have Wi-Fi available – a significant improvement compared to just five stations with connectivity when FirstGroup and MTR took over the South Western franchise in 2017.
The upgrade by BT builds on other recent improvements delivered by SWR, such as its £1.5 million station re-painting programme.
It comes as part of a three-year SWR partnership with BT, which has already delivered the upgrade of 104 4G EE cell masts on SWR’s network and will soon see 31 new masts built. These will be critical to the improvement of SWR’s onboard Wi-Fi, something SWR and BT have made significant headway on, with onboard connectivity speeds increasing by approximately 23 per cent since January 2019 across the 104 sites.
BT is currently a year-and-a-half into the improvement programme, with current developments focused on ‘not spots’ – areas identified with limited or no mobile coverage.
Train stations at Shanklin, Sandown, Brading and in Ryde are all part of the scheme.
Commenting on the developments, Mark Hopwood, SWR Managing Director, said:
“People expect to be able to connect and access information at the touch of a button, and most industries are having to respond to this demand and update their service accordingly.
“Our passengers are no exception to this rule, and we want to provide them with access to a fast and reliable connection when travelling with us.
“Working in partnership with BT we have significantly boosted the digital connectivity available on our trains and at our stations, and the plans to build new masts demonstrates our ambition to go even further.”
Sarah Walker, BT Corporate and Public Sector Director and Enterprise Sponsor for UK Rail Strategy, said:
“As part of our continued partnerships supporting UK train operating companies improve the digital passenger experience, we’re pleased to be delivering this network upgrade for SWR.
“Whether passengers need Wi-Fi for work or leisure purposes while travelling, this enhancement to the digital infrastructure on board trains and in stations will ensure people can stay connected.”
West Wight Pub Can Now Be Listed As 'Asset Of Community Value'
Royal Navy 'Bomb Squad' Called To Seaview Following Ordnance Alert
Automated Gates Arrive On Wightlink’s FastCat Foot Passenger Route
Help Keep Isle Of Wight Streets Neat – Bring Your Bin In
Two Passengers Injured Following Bus Crash In Ryde
Late Night Reports Of Collision Spark Extensive Land, Sea And Air Search
Islanders Taking On London Marathon Today For Local Charities
Four Men Arrested Following Rogue Trader Activities In East Cowes
Rugby Players Set To Scale Great Heights For Teddy
Drug Driving, Domestic Abuse And Stalking Among Arrests Made As Police Target Isle Of Wight Criminals
Work Begins On ‘Monumental’ Mural Project At Historic Columbine Building
More Acts Added To Isle Of Wight Festival Line-Up
St Mary’s Vaccination Hub Gets Ready For Spring Covid-19 Vaccinations
Twenty Isle Of Wight Pubs Under Threat As Stonegate Issues Profit Warning
Fundraiser Launched As Kezi's Kindness Founder Diagnosed With Incurable Cancer
Bon Voyage — White-Tailed Eagle Soars To France
Goddards Brewery Scoops Four Top Industry Awards At International Competition
Briddlesford Road Crash Results In Two Injured
Isle Of Wight MP Extolls Virtues Of Joint Emergency Service Officers For Isle Of Wight
Island Labour Announces Parliamentary Candidates As Quigley Vows To 'Take Fight' To Bob Seely
