Network Rail Fine Could Fund Faster Wi-Fi On Trains

It does seem as though we are unable to live without Wi-Fi hotspots in this day and age, never mind the fact that many of us already have some sort of data plan to go alongside our tablets and smartphones. Having said that, there is always no harm in experiencing faster Wi-Fi, right? Apparently, the BBC has learned that millions of pounds will be invested to deliver faster Wi-Fi connectivity on commuter trains across both England and Wales.

In order to fund this particular endeavor which will supposedly cost somewhere in the region of £90 million, some of it will be funded by the government thanks to a fine to Network Rail which broke records. Network Rail happens to be in charge after most of the track, signalling and stations throughout Britain, but it has since been chastised by the Office of Rail Regulation for the fact that they have missed key punctuality targets when it comes to the long-distance services offered across the time span of five years.

For quite some time already, critics have questioned the point of fining Network Rail due to their poor service, because depriving it of cash would also mean not having the amount of funds necessary to improve its services and lines. Sort of like a Catch-22 situation, is it not? Well, at least the fine will now help folks get online when they travel on trains, and this new Wi-Fi service is said to be up to 10 times faster compared to the existing one, so we will only find out in three to four years’ time when it is fully implemented. Definitely not as novel as Glastonbury’s way of experiencing free Wi-Fi, but it is a good start for sure.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Transportation
Tags: WiFi