Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Rail passengers in England could lose wifi access amid cost cuts

by May 23, 2023
May 23, 2023
Rail passengers in England could lose wifi access amid cost cuts

Train passengers face losing access to wifi after the government told rail companies to stop providing the service unless they can demonstrate its business case.

The move is being pushed by the Department for Transport in order to cut costs as it looks to “reform all aspects of the railway”.

Most British train services now provide free wifi as standard but the DfT has told its contracted operators in England that they should cease offering it if they cannot justify it financially.

The department said it was looking for “value for money” and wifi was low on passenger’s priorities, particularly on shorter journeys.

The drive was questioned by passenger groups and industry figures who said the railway should be continuing to do all it could to attract people back, with peak commuter numbers still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Christian Wolmar, who revealed the proposals on the Calling All Stations podcast, said it was a “ridiculous measure”, adding: “The DfT actually wants to reduce the quality of the train service by saying to passengers: sorry, you can’t access wifi.

“It’s all about saving money. But we’re trying to attract commuters back on to the railway, and people like to get on their phone or laptops.

“They’re going backwards. My view is that wifi is as essential as toilets now – people expect to be connected.”

Bruce Williamson from the passenger campaign group Railfuture said: “One of the great things about travelling by train is that you can work or watch a video or listen to a podcast – and wifi is pretty essential for that.

“We should be encouraging passengers to get back on the trains and this is a good example of a move that is going to make rail less attractive.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “Our railways are currently not financially sustainable, and it is unfair to continue asking taxpayers to foot the bill, which is why reform of all aspects of the railways is essential.

“Passenger surveys consistently show that on-train wifi is low on their list of priorities, so it is only right we work with operators to review whether the current service delivers the best possible value for money.”

According to a Transport Focus report cited by the DfT, a survey in December 2022 showed wifi on trains was a lower priority for passengers than other features – although those included such essentials as value-for-money fares, reliability, punctuality and personal security.

However, Transport Focus itself warned against the DfT’s conclusion. Anthony Smith, the chief executive, said: “Access to wifi is something many passengers now expect as standard. It helps people use their travel time productively and is something which could encourage more people to use rail over other modes.

“Given the post-pandemic need to get more passengers back on the train, it would be difficult to justify removing something that makes rail more attractive to customers.”

The DfT is also considering the cost of replacing or upgrading some on-train wifi equipment installed in the middle of the last decade, and whether passengers on shorter journeys use their own mobile phones or data rather than connecting to an operator’s wifi.

Read more:
Rail passengers in England could lose wifi access amid cost cuts

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Less than 10% of Britons think decision to leave European Union more of a success than failure
next post
UK borrowing rises by more than expected on higher debt bill

You may also like

Apple agrees to £77M settlement over alleged Siri...

January 4, 2025

Funding Circle looks to sell US arm and...

March 7, 2024

Rishi Sunak ‘too busy’ to attend Cop27 climate...

October 28, 2022

British horse racing to strike for first time...

August 17, 2025

Almost 1M UK businesses have £1,000 or less...

March 15, 2023

Change for the better

May 10, 2024

Government borrowing rises higher than expected to £55bn

August 19, 2022

Rise in computer professions as manufacturing jobs decline

December 9, 2022

How Blockchain is Shaping the Future of Online...

March 20, 2025

Beyond the Box: Packaging Solutions for Small Business...

March 13, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • National Wealth Fund commits £200m to UK battery storage push

      August 28, 2025
    • XRP price prediction hits new highs, GMO Miner helps you earn $6,800 a day

      August 28, 2025
    • West End retailers lose £310m from VAT-free shopping ban in first half of year

      August 28, 2025
    • Dollar slips as Trump moves to sack Fed governor Lisa Cook in unprecedented clash over central bank independence

      August 28, 2025
    • CDC Director Susan Monarez refuses to be fired as other officials call it quits

      August 28, 2025
    • Bill Gates met with Trump to talk ‘importance of US global health programs and health research’: spox

      August 28, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,901)
    • Investing (2,246)
    • Politics (16,503)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved