bb21
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701027 wil enter service on 5N95/1N95.
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Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway: progress updates
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Feathers44
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If that were a justification for not putting a train into service, serous questions to the management would need answering!
Kite159
Veteran Member
No working WiFi, must be the end of the World
CR165022
Established Member
It's not "the end of the world" but I think it's fair to be annoyed that something on a brand new train doesn't work on its first day in service. It's simple things that should be working as they are but simply aren't.
I never use train WiFi, get far better signal using my normal phone signal.
Same here, suburban WiFi has had its time. There are also so many decent 5G SIM deals with lots of data at crazy low prices and usually a better connection, especially on a stopping service in suburbia.
93s taking a pair of 701/5s on Wednesday...
6Q87 0821 Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs
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And returning a pair the same day?
6Q57 1545 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Derby Litchurch Lane
6Q87 0821 Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs
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www.realtimetrains.co.uk
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And returning a pair the same day?
6Q57 1545 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Derby Litchurch Lane
Loading…
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
I get 108g for £9 so I'm never bothered about running out and signal is always way better than then WiFi.
Granted not everyone gets that much data, WiFi to me is more benefit for laptop people but even then I've heard some people hotspot from there phone.
It's precisely on the first day of a train that I'd be more tolerant of some stuff - especially gadgets - not working.
bb21
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Non-working WiFi would not be a reason stopping a train from entering service.
WWTownEnth
Member
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That takes us to 54 in service, 3 in training and 3 in commissioning.
You've clearly never travelled on SWR suburban between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction, the mobile signal is atrocious for most of the journey!
I'd suggest that is a network choice issue and not a general issue. I stream and make calls on that stretch regularly without issue.
rmHawk765
Member
The WiFi cannot be any better as it uses the exact same mobile signal. If anything it'll be worse as you're sharing that same signal with possibly hundreds of other people. This is the same for all UK operators right now, however if I remember correctly Lumo is planning to trial Starlink technology which could genuinely have an advantage over mobile data (and is already used widely on planes).
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Signal in London seems to be getting progressively worse. I'd be willing to bet it's because of the obsession of removing Huawei technology which is just far superior to everything else... certainly that's what's happened in my local area. My broadband connection has also never been worse, despite the fact that I upgraded recently.
WarrenTManager
Member
There were some issues commissioning it last week that I had to help resolve but it was sorted this morning. Apologies if this was an issue for you.
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GWR is trialling it on a 802 (or 800?) and GBR is planning on rolling it, or something like it, out across a big chunk of its future fleet.
Goldfish62
Veteran Member
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The trial has happened. It's now going to be rolled out.
Better WiFi for hundreds of trains under government plans
Campaigners welcome the move but say passengers are mostly worried about train fares and delays.
www.bbc.co.uk
Better WiFi for hundreds of trains under government plans
Image source,Getty Images
ByMaia Davies and Katy Austin, Transport correspondent
The WiFi on hundreds of Britain's main line trains is set to be upgraded under government plans.
- Published
26 May 2026
New technology will be rolled out on more than 1,400 trains across the UK allowing them to connect to low-earth satellites, which ministers say will provide faster and more reliable service than the mobile networks currently powering on-board WiFi.
A government source said the upgrade would "rocket boost connectivity on every main line train in Britain over the next few years, tackling both slow speeds and irritating not-spots".
Campaign groups welcomed the move but said passengers' main concerns remained the cost and reliability of rail travel.
The plans follow a trial of satellite connectivity across operators including LNER, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway, with the technology to be rolled out across nationalised main line services through funding worth £57m.
Nogoohwell
Member
I travel a lot through Europe, countries like Norway with just 6million people, and the mobile signal on trains is perfect from start to finish. Does not matter where you are, tunnels, cuttings or miuntains, it just works.
Its mad but most other countries can actually count on having signal when they travel and arrange video calls while on a train.
Would never dream of that on any train in the UK.
Its mad but most other countries can actually count on having signal when they travel and arrange video calls while on a train.
Would never dream of that on any train in the UK.
We're getting severely off topic. But the DfT signed a deal last year to remove mobile deadzones on the ECML, WCML, and GWML. No need to dream. All you have to do is wait.
On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones
Project Reach deal signed to boost connectivity and remove mobile signal blackspots on the rail network.
(Maybe this is worth moving to another, new thread.)
You're probably right. Mine is O2. I always connect to the WiFi on that stretch now as it is so much better than the mobile network
EE always drop out around Raynes Park, where sometimes even a 3G signal is not available. So I always use the train WiFi in that area.
The railway WiFi uses multiple external antenna's to pick up the signals from all three major networks at the same time, so train users will often get WiFi even when their own phone suppliers signal is bad.
Invincible
Member
The current icomera system on SWR uses a system where the roof antenna pickup up multiple 4g (or 5G) networks and automatically picks the strongest to relay on the trains WiFi, so in theory should be better than using a 4G or 5G single network phone within the metal train body. (Edit just noticed Meglos's post)We're getting severely off topic. But the DfT signed a deal last year to remove mobile deadzones on the ECML, WCML, and GWML. No need to dream. All you have to do is wait.
On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones
Project Reach deal signed to boost connectivity and remove mobile signal blackspots on the rail network.www.gov.uk
(Maybe this is worth moving to another, new thread.)
In Urban areas should work fine, but outside London can be variable.
SWR tested a private 5G network in the rural main line which was used to relay internet over trains WiFi, which worked well,
SWR superfast onboard WiFi
www.southwesternrailway.com
The UK Government sponsored a test of train roof mounted Oneweb (rival LEO satellite system rival to Starlink part owned by the Government) on the Swanage railway. A similar satellite system is now on test on GWR.
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Big Jumby 74
Established Member
In years past there were some noticeable black spots on the SW which interfered with more than one mobile provider. As someone up thread mentioned (I think) Clapham Cutting was one, but also parts of the Pompey direct between Guildford and Petersfield IIRC are the two that I remember.
No doubt improvements have been made in more recent times. One would hope so at any rate.
No doubt improvements have been made in more recent times. One would hope so at any rate.
WarrenTManager
Member
The router does the work not the antenna. It has multiple modems and multiple SIM cards from three providers.
701525 reportedly the lucky unit on 6Q87 between 93001 + 93005 today...
WWTownEnth
Member
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Just a single unit? I would have expected two but I supppose that does bring the total number on SWR up to an even 14 (or 7 "pairs")
mansonlo49
Member
Because it makes 8 left at Bicester so just need 4 more drags
WWTownEnth
Member
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14 of the five car units now on SWR territory.
I wonder when we will see the first pair enter service.....my assumption is that they wil continue to prioritise the 10 cars until they are all in traffic. Has five car driver training started yet?
701510 should be in 6Q57 going to Litchurch Lane this afternoon...