(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/mbbirdy)
Recent announcements from Chiltern Railways and South Western Railway show Train Operating Companies (TOCs) moving ahead with full-scale rollout of onboard Wi‑Fi for passengers. These initiatives follow the UK Government’s consultation on improving mobile communications across the rail network, for which we are still waiting on detailed feedback.
For many rail users this is welcome news: passengers have long endured unreliable mobile coverage while travelling. However, though inadequate mobile coverage along lines is a key constraint, the consultation and much of the industry’s current thinking remain too narrowly focused. Operators and network providers tend to overlook important medium- and long-term changes in the broader public Wi‑Fi and mobile ecosystem, and they often fail to consider the passenger’s whole journey.
Frequently, the rationale given for improving mobile and onboard Wi‑Fi is simply to enable voice, text and internet access while travelling. That was also the primary motivation for many public Wi‑Fi deployments a few years ago, but those venues have since broadened their approach. Retailers, cafés and hotels now look for additional value from their Wi‑Fi systems beyond basic connectivity, and rail operators should follow suit.
Passengers increasingly expect complimentary Wi‑Fi, yet someone must fund its deployment and operation. Venue owners therefore seek to leverage Wi‑Fi infrastructure to deliver commercial and operational benefits. TOCs—who largely operate in competitive markets—can use Wi‑Fi and mobile services to improve customer satisfaction and gain advantage. Examples of additional value include:
- Enhanced Wi‑Fi analytics to better understand passenger behaviour and device usage, dwell times in stations and trains, and movement patterns.
- Permission‑based engagement that delivers timely, relevant information or promotional offers to improve the journey experience.
- Real‑time insight into who is present in a station or on a train, enabling tailored actions based on transaction history, browsing behaviour and travel profiles—for example, offering a free coffee after a set number of journeys.
To realise these benefits, TOCs (or Network Rail for major stations) should own and operate the onboard and station Wi‑Fi infrastructure rather than outsourcing complete control to standalone hotspot providers. Ownership allows operators to manage quality of service and align network capabilities with their operational and commercial requirements. Once infrastructure is controlled, TOCs can select best‑of‑breed application providers to run services over it.
The government consultation largely addresses on‑train or trackside connectivity, with only brief reference to “seamless connectivity.” The scope should be broadened to cover all stages of a passenger’s trip—particularly station connectivity at both ends of a journey. A policy-driven approach should promote continuity of connection when a customer boards a train, regardless of which operator runs that service.
Many TOCs also operate or coordinate with local bus services that feed passengers to stations. It is technically feasible to maintain a single session from bus through station to train, but doing so requires coordinated planning rather than rolling out bus, station and onboard Wi‑Fi in isolation. Considering these elements together will deliver a far better passenger experience.
Onboard connectivity is most effectively provided via Wi‑Fi accessible to all passengers, rather than relying on each mobile operator to separately improve coverage along routes. That said, government should encourage mobile operators to collaborate where appropriate—following examples set in countries like Denmark—to enhance coverage along rail corridors and potentially relax certain collaboration rules under defined circumstances to reduce costs.
At present the rail industry tends to frame improved connectivity around just two outcomes:
- allowing passengers to access the internet while on trains, and
- delivering infotainment to passengers via screens or personal devices.
Other sectors are already using insights from Wi‑Fi networks to optimise operations, enrich customer experience and enable permission‑based engagement. The rail industry has an opportunity not only to raise mobile coverage across the network but to leapfrog into the next generation of Wi‑Fi‑enabled services and analytics.
Is it time for the rail industry to go further with onboard and station Wi‑Fi? Share your thoughts in the comments.