Network Rail to offer free Wi-Fi

Network Rail has announced that it will be offering free Wi-Fi at Britain’s biggest and busiest railway stations.

This is part of a significant digital investment by Network Rail which aims to offer seamless connectivity and single sign-on at all Network Rail stations, automatically connecting passengers to Wi-Fi across Network Rail’s 20-station network from next year, beginning with London Victoria.

The service is child-friendly and can also be used on more than one device, Network Rail has said.

“We all have smart phones and tablets now which means that journeys are no longer dead time, so the station experience shouldn’t be either. Our passengers expect seamless connectivity from their train to our stations, to their place of work, and to their homes, so I am pleased that millions of passengers who use our stations will soon have access to free, fast and secure Wi-Fi,” said Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail. “This investment also supports the government’s approach to delivering a fully connected rail and transport sector and will help accelerate the development of the digital cities needed in the future.”

Planning for the roll-out of free Wi-Fi is already underway, with Network Rail awarding a contract to telent technology to deliver the scheme. 

“We are putting passengers at the heart of the railways, delivering the improvements to punctuality, comfort and customer service they expect,” added Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris. “Making Wi-Fi fast and free, benefitting millions of people in stations across the country, is part of creating a more modern, better-connected railway which works for passengers.”

Free Wi-Fi is already available at Euston and London Bridge and it will be phased into the remaining stations across the country from spring 2020, said Network Rail, taking around one year to fully deploy.