A SWR Class 444 train. Photo: South Western Railway

U.K. train operator South Western Railway (SWR) is trialing Starlink Wi-Fi for customers, reporting promising early testing results. 

SWR kicked off a one-year Starlink trial on Dec. 20, working with Angel Trains and Clarus Networks. The trial involves a Class 444 test train operating between London Waterloo, Portsmouth Harbour and Weymouth.

SWR reported that the testing so far has achieved 97% coverage. The service boosts coverage in particular in a forest area known for mobile signal unavailability. 

The rail operator has made a number of investments in connectivity technology, previously installing trackside rail 5G Wi-Fi earlier this year, along with multi-SIM technology that enables its trains to automatically switch between mobile operators. It is the first U.K. train operator to offer three options for providing on-board connectivity — mobile, trackside, and satellite. 

“By bringing satellite technology to our trains, we’re covering some of the hardest-to-reach parts of the network and showing that seamless connectivity is possible wherever you travel. This is another big step towards improving the onboard experience for our customers and we are excited to see how it can benefit more routes across our network in future,” Peter Williams, South Western Railway’s Customer and Commercial director commented. 

Service provider Clarus Networks has also supported ScotRail in a Starlink trial.