SUPER-fast on-board WiFi is set to be available to passengers between Basingstoke and Earlsfield as part of a new project. 

South Western Railway is working alongside eco-rail and Network Rail to bring 5G WiFi to customers.

Engineers for the project have now installed the first series of rail-5G poles on the line between stations on the South West Main Line, making it the first railway line in mainland UK to deploy the industry-leading rail-5G technology for customer use.

With over 100 trains already fitted to accommodate rail-5G, the technology will cover 70 kilometres of the SWR (South Western Railway) network.

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Christian Neill, customer experience director for SWR, said: “South Western Railway is committed to providing a modern customer experience for the digital age and rolling out new super fast internet is an integral part of our plan to do that.

“Following a successful pilot on Isle of Wight’s Island Line, we are excited to deliver this industry-leading standard of internet connectivity for our customers.”

Rail-5G is the first multi-gigabit internet solution built for the railways, with the technology enabling the delivery of continuous super-fast internet, at 50 times the current average speeds. Passengers will be able to enjoy unprecedented levels of connectivity, similar to what they would be used to at home or in the office, allowing them to stream videos, make video calls, download large files and much more.

The rail-5G technology delivers near perfect, consistent coverage, and provides rail customers with unsurpassed levels of connectivity. The technology uses poles and antennas to create a radio network, accessible to both the trains operational systems, and the customers on board.

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Simon Holmes, managing director for evo-rail, added: “Improving services for passengers through fast and reliable connectivity - especially on-board WiFi services - will be the keystone in rail becoming the transport mode of choice.

“We are very excited for this milestone of our project with South Western Railway and Network Rail and look forward to bringing it to customers travelling between Earlsfield and Basingstoke.”

Full deployment is likely to complete and launch for customer use in early 2023.