- Following a pilot, satellite internet was soon to roll out across more UK trains
- Other solutions to tackle non-spotting are also being implemented by various partners
- Wi-Fi welcomed, but campaigners warn of other perennial problems
The UK government has announced plans to significantly upgrade Wi-Fi connections on hundreds of trains, making it easier for commuters to work and stay connected on the move.
Although UK trains generally already offer Wi-Fi, connections have been spotty at best. Under this new scheme, up to 1,400 trains will be equipped with satellite equipment to connect to low earth orbit (LEO) constellations.
With cellular non-spots already a problem in a number of underserved regions, satellite-based connections should be able to close the gap.
British trains to get satellite internet
The upgrade program aims to bring Wi-Fi availability to 90%, up from around 50%, “over the next few years” (via BBC).
Previously have BBC had reported that the government planned to spend £57 million to tackle the problem, including £12 million across the west and south west of England and Wales, where a pilot project took place recently.
Certain Great Western Railway (GWR) services in the South West region first trialled the satellite upgrades, starting in November 2025.
Separately, the government’s Project Reach aims to tackle wider signal problems across the network. It includes up to 5,000km of fiber optics from Neos Networks, 50km of tunnel blackspot tackling from Freshwave and 4G/5G investment from network operators at major stations.
Rail Future spokesman Bruce Williamson noted that the main issues today are travel costs, overcrowding and reliability, but welcomed the proposal, which could attract more people to use the rail network and fund future improvements.
Other campaigners have also highlighted the other challenges facing the rail network, but improved connectivity has been welcomed across the board.
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