South Western Railway customers can now benefit from superfast on-board Wi-Fi with introduction of FirstGroup’s rail-5G

South Western Railway (SWR) customers can now enjoy unprecedented internet speeds up to 20 times faster than the current average, as it becomes the first train operator in Europe to introduce rail-5G Wi-Fi.  

SWR customers travelling between the London suburb of Earlsfield and Basingstoke can now access superfast speeds akin to those at home or in the office, across 70 kilometres of track. 

Customers can now easily stream content like films or television shows, make video calls, download large files on the go, and much more, making journeys more enjoyable and productive. 

While most train operators offer their customers onboard Wi-Fi, they typically rely on the wider telecoms network, with the internet speeds limited by the connection to local masts and rationed among hundreds of users. 

This can lead to lower bandwidth areas with slower internet speeds. To overcome this, SWR has worked with technology specialists within FirstGroup’s rail division to implement their innovative rail-5G solution on one of the busiest parts of its network. 

The innovation is just one of the ways SWR is enhancing internet connectivity for customers on its whole network, with further improvements to be rolled out in the coming months, enhancing the customer experience for commuters and leisure travellers alike. 

FirstGroup developed rail-5G as the first multi-gigabit internet solution built specifically for the railways. Rail-5G can dramatically improve connectivity on trains, with the technology enabling the delivery of superfast continuous internet. 

The technology uses trackside poles and antennas, installed along the route and on the trains, to create a bespoke network, accessible to both the trains’ operational systems and customers on board.  

The rollout on the mainland follows a successful large-scale pilot on SWR’s Island Line on the Isle of Wight, with the technology now rolled out to the busy mainline route.  

At such speeds, a full HD 1080p movie around 5 GB could be downloaded in about four minutes; a full album in less than ten seconds; or a ten-episode series of a show in about 15 minutes. 

Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway, commented:  

“We’re thrilled that our customers travelling between Earlsfield and Basingstoke are the first to benefit from this unprecedented superfast Wi-Fi. 

“Customers can now stream, download files, video call, and much more – without worrying about their connection. 

“Whether travelling for work or leisure, having access to a strong and reliable internet connection will make their time on board more productive and enjoyable. 

“We hope this will make travelling by train an even more attractive option, helping to get people out of cars and onto the rail network.” 

David Statham, FirstGroup’s Rail Commercial Director, commented:  

“Improving services for passengers through superfast and reliable connectivity – especially on-board Wi-Fi services – is a key step in rail becoming the transport mode of choice. 

“The Rail-5G solution we have installed on SWR can dramatically improve connectivity on passenger trains and the technology allows passengers to have constant, uninterrupted and consistent internet 20 times the average speed of today’s mobile connection. 

“We are very excited to have completed the installation of the project with SWR and Network Rail and we are sure that customers travelling on this stretch of the network will notice a real difference.” 

By providing an enhanced customer experience and helping customers to be more productive while on the move, it is hoped that travelling by rail will become the preferred option for more people.  

Polling conducted by Ipsos has found that 41% of UK adults would be more likely to consider taking the train over other modes of transport if train companies provided fast, reliable on-board Wi-Fi. 

The figure is even higher among younger people, with 64% of those aged 16-24 and 59% of those aged 25-34 saying they were more likely to choose rail travel over other modes of transport under such conditions.