SWR Diesel Stock WiFi

[embers25]

Does anyone know why SWR WiFi on their 158's and 159's is SO much better than on any of their other units and also so much better than GWR, given they are both First run companies? Also, why can't all train WiFi be the standard of that on SWR diesel stock, as it works amazingly even in rural Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire and in tunnels. Unlike GWR that dies each time even a bird flies past the train.

 

[Goldfish62]

Does anyone know why SWR WiFi on their 158's and 159's is SO much better than on any of their other units and also so much better than GWR, given they are both First run companies? Also, why can't all train WiFi be the standard of that on SWR diesel stock, as it works amazingly even in rural Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire and in tunnels. Unlike GWR that dies each time even a bird flies past the train.

Personally I also find the WiFi on the 450s and 455s to be pretty good. It rarely lets me down. But that's based on within 30 miles of London.

As you say, on GWR it's universally hopeless. Same with Avanti.

 

[infobleep]

Personally I also find the WiFi on the 450s and 455s to be pretty good. It rarely lets me down. But that's based on within 30 miles of London.

As you say, on GWR it's universally hopeless. Same with Avanti.

GWR doesn't work on the North Downs Line.

Of they are themsleves paying for a company to host it then they should be considering a breach of contract or if they can't do that, wondering how such a contract was ever signed.

 

[embers25]

Gatwick Express WiFi generally works well, bar around Balcombe, but not to SWR Diesel standards.

 

[southern442]

When I was at uni in Southampton a few years ago and would travel to/from London, I found the WiFi onboard the Desiros to be really shoddy, worse than GWR diesels in my opinion. One advantage of getting the slow Southern train was that I'd be set for things to watch on my phone/laptop for the 2 and a half hours...

 

[DelW]

Until a couple of years ago, I found the wifi on the Portsmouth Direct was awful, with a really cumbersome login and very flaky internet even when I could connect to it. I just automatically used my data allowance instead. But at some point the system was changed and these days it mostly works quite well for me.

 

[embers25]

I'd agree the Portsmouth direct gas gotten much better. Used to be nothing from Rowlands to Woking pretty much bar Haslemere. Via Easyleigh it's still sporty. Southern definitely works better than GWR or SWR from Soton to Cosham.

 

[Invincible]

SWR has been rolling out it's own trackside 5G network on dedicated poles which provides reliable WiFI onboard trains.

New superfast WiFi for passengers

www.southwesternrailway.com

Other operators might follow.

The Government though the local council has also funded a test on Swanage railway of a new satellite receiver to feed WiFi on trains.

 

[Clarence Yard]

SWR were only doing it because the DfT were paying for it! Other operators will need to get DfT funding and there is talk that the DfT want GBR to move towards having one system for the whole railway so more bespoke arrangements will probably not get approved.

 

[Invincible]

SWR were only doing it because the DfT were paying for it! Other operators will need to get DfT funding and there is talk that the DfT want GBR to move towards having one system for the whole railway so more bespoke arrangements will probably not get approved.

From https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/train-wifi-fast-firstgroup-london-hampshire-rjl5wvrlr

After the launch in August, FirstGroup, Britain’s largest private sector transport operator, planned to fit the superfast wi-fi on the Avanti West Coast route from London to Glasgow next, but that has been abandoned under pressure from the Department for Transport. Sources say that talks about installing it on the East Coast Main Line petered out earlier this year.

FirstGroup is now in the process of dismantling Evo-Rail, its subsidiary, and only retain a handful of technical staff to maintain the service for SWR

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Mar 2025 ==

There is a thread on the Swanage railway satellite test

Swanage Railway on train wifi

Interesting development…… awarded grant to install on train and station wifi https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c629e8eqngdo

www.railforums.co.uk

Could be if successful, also as the previous Conservative Government invested in Oneweb, might be more cost effective then more trackside 5G towers and infrastructure?.

 

[infobleep]

SWR has been rolling out it's own trackside 5G network on dedicated poles which provides reliable WiFI onboard trains.

New superfast WiFi for passengers

www.southwesternrailway.com

Other operators might follow.

The Government though the local council has also funded a test on Swanage railway of a new satellite receiver to feed WiFi on trains.

Whilst I do travel between Woking and Earlsfirld, I travel far less between Basingstoke and Woking. I'm more likely to travel between Guildford and Woking and then beyond or Guildford to stations on the route towards Havant.

Have they introduced any 5G to these areas or was it a one off project with funding?

 

[WarrenTManager]

Does anyone know why SWR WiFi on their 158's and 159's is SO much better than on any of their other units and also so much better than GWR, given they are both First run companies? Also, why can't all train WiFi be the standard of that on SWR diesel stock, as it works amazingly even in rural Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire and in tunnels. Unlike GWR that dies each time even a bird flies past the train.

The 158/159 were rekitted a few years ago with Icomera X³ Rail routers and new switches. It has the same equipment as the 484. Last year SWR moved to a mix of sims from 3 providers to try and get the best coverage in each part of the journey. There was a lot of great work from the hosting company to geofence and use SIM prioritisation to make that work. It’s taken a lot of fettling. I think GWR diesel units have what the 158/159 used to have. That’s similar to what is on the 458. The 444/450 have the updated router of the one that’s in the 458 but with different switches from a different provider as the router was changed on refresh. There’s some backbone wiring mods happening on the Desiros now as thats been fitted a good while. The 455 has a completely different provider and set up as it was made to fit into the existing CCTV backbone.

 

[Invincible]

Whilst I do travel between Woking and Earlsfirld, I travel far less between Basingstoke and Woking. I'm more likely to travel between Guildford and Woking and then beyond or Guildford to stations on the route towards Havant.

Have they introduced any 5G to these areas or was it a one off project with funding?

From the Times "London Waterloo bound for Southampton and Exeter", and the Isle of Wight, had dedicated trackside 5G poles every 400m to 2km feeding the on board Wifi along the whole routes.
So Woking to Guildford and Havant, plus other routes, do not seem to have been done before the rollout stopped, there may be some intermittent coverage using regular 4G/5G networks.
Guess we will have to wait for GBR to take over, and also the satellite test results in Swanage, before any more improvements?

 

[WarrenTManager]

From the Times "London Waterloo bound for Southampton and Exeter", and the Isle of Wight, had dedicated trackside 5G poles every 400m to 2km feeding the on board Wifi along the whole routes.
So Woking to Guildford and Havant, plus other routes, do not seem to have been done before the rollout stopped, there may be some intermittent coverage using regular 4G/5G networks.
Guess we will have to wait for GBR to take over, and also the satellite test results in Swanage, before any more improvements?

It’s only Earlsfield to Basingstoke on the mainland, i think the Times are wrong. It’s fibre fed to poles along the line, tests on working sections have been very encouraging. It’s not quite all cut in yet. The proof of concept was done on the IOW.

 

[embers25]

Thanks for clearing it up Warren. Fair play to SWR (never thought I'd say that) for getting creative to get the best WiFi. 3 sims makes sense as to Exeter even EE doesn't work the whole route.

 

[infobleep]

The 158/159 were rekitted a few years ago with Icomera X³ Rail routers and new switches. It has the same equipment as the 484. Last year SWR moved to a mix of sims from 3 providers to try and get the best coverage in each part of the journey. There was a lot of great work from the hosting company to geofence and use SIM prioritisation to make that work. It’s taken a lot of fettling. I think GWR diesel units have what the 158/159 used to have. That’s similar to what is on the 458. The 444/450 have the updated router of the one that’s in the 458 but with different switches from a different provider as the router was changed on refresh. There’s some backbone wiring mods happening on the Desiros now as thats been fitted a good while. The 455 has a completely different provider and set up as it was made to fit into the existing CCTV backbone.

The 455s are perticularly interesting because you can select every option when you enter your e-mail address. So that includes wanting market e-mails and not waning them at the same time. Or it might be that you can say yes to them whilst being under 16. I forget precisely which options clash but can be submitted.

I'm the sort of person who tries doing this stuff.

I never reported it as I'm quite happy to having marketing e-mails.

 

[Invincible]

Thanks for clearing it up Warren. Fair play to SWR (never thought I'd say that) for getting creative to get the best WiFi. 3 sims makes sense as to Exeter even EE doesn't work the whole route.

The main mobile networks are slowly increasing 4G/5G coverage and capacity, so eventually should work better on carriage roof aerials feed on board WiFi.

Guess they can also be used to send train telemetry and backup comms back to control centres?

Will be interesting to see how the Oneweb (or Starlink?) test setup works out at Swanage as there will be some rural locations the mobile networks will not reach, and if the TOCs do not have funds for their own trackside masts.

Dorset Council powers ahead with UK’s first WiFi-connected steam train

A new innovation project is steaming ahead in Dorset to test if WiFi can work on even the most rural and oldest railway networks.

www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

 

[fandroid]

As an SWR (and EE) user from Basingstoke to Waterloo I was always frustrated that the EE signal was appalling between Basingstoke and Woking. SWR did upgrade its wifi from awful to OK once before, and for a while that made online life possible. However that soon succumbed to the Tragedy of the Commons whereby passengers just upped their usage and the individual experience became as bad as previously.

I haven't noticed yet that the SWR mainline wifi has improved, but I'll try to pay attention when next travelling.