You could soon see faster, reliable built-in Wi-Fi on UK trains

Cisco, ScotRail, CGI and Network Rail Telecoms have announced today (September 15) the collaboration on an InnovateUK and RSSB-funded proof of concept to enable super-fast Wi-Fi on trains.

Labelled Project SWIFT, this is set to see ScotRail trialling the quickest Wi-Fi service on trains in the world, which allows users to experience Internet speeds up to 300 Mbps.

Those currently travelling by train between Scotland’s two biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, can only access less than 10 per cent of such capacity. Using existing 3G/4G networks has proven unsuccessful in-train mainly due to tunnels and regional issues.

Scot Gardner, chief executive of Cisco UK & Ireland, commented: “Project SWIFT embodies the art of the possible. If the UK is to truly benefit from what digital technologies have to offer, then connectivity has to be a given - even when travelling at 140mph.

“If only a fraction of the time that we spend travelling is made more productive, the potential for commuters, the train companies and the UK as a whole is immense.”

With UK networks, 33 per cent of internet requests on trains fail, and with 1.4bn journeys per year, that equates to millions of lost productivity hours, which creates missed opportunities for retailers and potentially unsatisfied passengers.

Project SWIFT has initially been implemented on a full scale train and test track near Stratford-upon-Avon, and will see a limited duration roll-out on one of the current fleet of ScotRail trains that operate services between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The proof of concept trial for this project will commence later this year, and will run until the end of March 2018.

ScotRail’s alliance communications director, Rob Shorthouse, said: “Our customers consistently tell us that one of the things that they expect on their journey is fast Wi-Fi. This pilot scheme will allow us to fully understand how we take our current on-train [connection] to the next level.”

Amy Lai, founder and CEO of Wittos, also commented: “Project SWIFT enables us to rethink the role that connectivity plays in rail passenger experiences. Focusing on what the customer wants is key.

“Our connected Intelligence analytics platform identifies the small data moments of how connectivity is being used. This empowers train operators to actively shape the demand for more relevant connected services.”

Startups and SMEs have been invited to participate in an open innovation challenge as part of Project SWIFT. Those involved will build applications to enable continuous innovation for passengers and train operators.

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