Query Regarding Train Wifi

[yorksrob]

Hi all, Just a quick query.

Is there a comprehensive list anywhere of what TOC's offer what Wifi facilities ?

 

[scotsman]

No, but I'm up for compiling a sticky with you if you like...

 

[yorksrob]

No, but I'm up for compiling a sticky with you if you like...

Thanks, although I have to confess, I only know about EMT and Grand Central at the moment

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Chiltern have free WiFi on all 168s and the silver loco hauled Mk3 rakes.

 

[gazthomas]

Plus Virgin, East Coast and XC

 

[GNER 91128]

Free in East Coast First Class. 15 Minute free trial in Standard then it's £4.95 per hour or £9.95 for 24 hours if you wish to continue using it.

 

[tsr]

Southern have a dysfunctional wifi setup on one of their 377s (I can't remember which one) - it is free, but it doesn't work very well (the connection speed is fine, but the router seems to enjoy dropping the connection or simply not providing a wifi lease) and is totally unadvertised. In fact, I think it may have been turned off recently. All other units are entirely free of connectivity. The excuse is that the mobile phone network signal en-route may be too poor, but when comparing this to the Virgin, Chiltern, EMT and EC offerings (which, between them, also travel through tunnels, rural areas and areas of poor 2G/3G signal), this looks slightly nonsensical.

 

[MCR247]

Didn't southern used to have T-mobile on the London - Brighton route a while ago?

 

[jopsuk]

GA: Wifi on Mark 3 London-Norwich services and Class 379 Stansted Express and London-Cambridge (including Ely and Kings Lynn at peaks), currently free in both classes on the 379s at least.

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like quite a mix of provision - I can't see myself coughing up £5 an hour for EC (for the whole journey I might be tempted) !

 

[wintonian]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like quite a mix of provision - I can't see myself coughing up £5 an hour for EC (for the whole journey I might be tempted) !

Quite you can buy a months worth of 3G for that and not find it unusable due to capacity constraints - well most of the time.

 

[CC 72100]

Chiltern have free WiFi on all 168s and the silver loco hauled Mk3 rakes.

And very good it is too! Top thumbs up from me with regards to their wifi provision. Not used any other operators', but very pleased with the chiltern service.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Virgin have it in first class for free and at a charge for standard but when coach-D is declassified first class on the Voyager runs from Chester it still picks up as you in first class even though you are in standard so it's free if you sit in coach d on a voyager

 

[Lrd]

SWT are supposedly rolling out Wi-Fi on their 444s.

 

[Blindtraveler]

SWT are
supposedly rolling out Wi-Fi on their 444s.

And FSR are doing likewise on the entire 170 fleat after a successfull trial on 4 units. This will be free and funded by Scottish Government. It is notably absent from the sleapers however

 

[wintonian]

And FSR are doing likewise on the entire 170 fleat after a successfull trial on 4 units. This will be free and funded by Scottish Government. It is notably absent from the sleapers however

I suppose Westminster is supposed to pay for that, being its their MP's that use it?

 

[Blindtraveler]

I suppose Westminster is supposed to pay for that, being its their MP's that use it?

You may have a point there! My guess though is that now we know sleapers will be split off into a seperate franchise TS/FSR arnt bothered about spending any cash on them.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I suppose Westminster is supposed to pay for that, being its their MP's that use it?

You may have a point there! My guess though is that now we know sleapers will be split off into a seperate franchise TS/FSR arnt bothered about spending any cash on them.

 

[Qwerty133]

EMts is free in first and costs in most of standard. However you get free wifi in coach D on 5 car meridians (the 2/3 first 1/3 standard coach)

 

[Royston Vasey]

My experience of XC's wifi is how convenient it was to pay by text... Unfortunately they send the wifi access code by EMAIL. How was I going to access that then?

(Fortunately my emails come to my iPhone so I managed to access it but I was about to call the helpline!)

 

[wintonian]

but I was about to call the helpline!

Which from my observation is usually a 0906 type thing at least £1 min from a BT line (mobiles may vary) - effectively making it likely to be cheaper to excess your ticket to 1st class and gain access that way! :-x

 

[rebmcr]

I've sampled the WiFi on Virgin and East Coast in the past. Every time it's been comprehensively unusable; either it remains loading indefinitely, or it spits out an error page.

3G coverage isn't continuous but when I tether my phone, it either works, or it tells me the connection is down.

 

[Frontera2]

Hi all, Just a quick query.

Is there a comprehensive list anywhere of what TOC's offer what Wifi facilities ?

Try this page

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/onboard/WiFi.html

 

[paul1609]

I suppose Westminster is supposed to pay for that, being its their MP's that use it?

Presumably the MPs and the sleepers will become redundant next year?

 

[hacman]

My experience of XC's wifi is how convenient it was to pay by text... Unfortunately they send the wifi access code by EMAIL. How was I going to access that then?

(Fortunately my emails come to my iPhone so I managed to access it but I was about to call the helpline!)

Normally you would be connected automatically and not need the code.

If you do need to have your code sent via SMS though, the service desk will organise this for you.

 

[yorksrob]

Try this page

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/onboard/WiFi.html

Ah, cheers, that's precisely what I was looking for !

 

[maniacmartin]

Ah, cheers, that's precisely what I was looking for !

It's missing some things though! For example, Greater Anglia now also have wifi on their new Stansted Express stock, which is totally free with no time limits. This stock sometimes serves the Cambridge - Liverpool St route too.

 

[jopsuk]

"Sometimes" is three peak time 12-car services to London in the morning, three back in the evening (which I think includes all the GA Kings Lynn services?) and about half of the off peak service

 

[FGW_DID]

I'm led to believe that FGW are going to introduce WiFi into the 180's, other then that the only place you will get it is at stations (an hour free thru 'the cloud')

 

[wintonian]

I'm led to believe that FGW are going to introduce WiFi into the 180's, other then that the only place you will get it is at stations (an hour free thru 'the cloud')

No chance of me being able to read last minute reports on a 150 to Reading then.

 

[jopsuk]

It is becoming such an expected feature that it just seems crazy that FGW haven't fitted it in their HSTs, given the other HST and hauled mark 3 operators have long had it.