Businesses urge Government to roll out F1 Superfast Wi-Fi on GWR
Business leaders this week urged the Government to roll out the technology from the first ground-breaking pilot trialling next-generation onboard Wi-Fi on Great Western Railway (GWR).
Over 60 South West-based businesses, from SMEs to global firms, have signed a letter to the Secretary of State calling for the Government to allocate funds from the £57m set out in the 2025 Spending Review to improve onboard connectivity on mainline trains. This follows a letter from MPs to the Secretary of State last week urging similar action.
After two months of delivering ‘home-quality’ Wi-Fi speeds and reliability for passengers, the pilot has gained nationwide support, first from MPs and now from business leaders.
Peninsula Transport’s 60-day pilot on a GWR Intercity Express train introduced British technology from Formula 1 motorsport, consisting of a new, hybrid system that combines both mobile masts and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. It overcomes the difficulties of providing fast, stable internet connections on trains. The pilot was delivered through a partnership between Peninsula Transport, Motion Applied (formerly McLaren Applied), GWR, Network Rail and Hitachi Rail.
Passenger feedback has been exceptional, with many citing it as ‘transforming journeys’. The technology could be rolled out across the GWR network from November, provided £12m in funding is set aside.
Claire Pearce, Chair of the South West Business Council, said:
“Better internet connectivity on long distance trains is vital to business. We want to do all we can to grow the regional and national economy, and we cannot afford to lose working time because of unreliable or slow internet connections. The pilot has shown what can be done and we need to see action to make this a reality on intercity trains.”
Councillor Dan Rogerson, Chair of the Peninsula Rail Task Force, said:
“This pilot shows that world-class onboard Wi-Fi on Britain’s railways is not only possible – it’s ready to deliver now. For too long, passengers in the South West and South Wales have experienced some of the poorest connectivity in the country. With a relatively modest investment, we can transform that experience across one of the UK’s largest rail networks, unlocking real productivity benefits for passengers and the UK economy.”
Samir Maha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Motion Applied, said:
“We’re delighted with the outcome of this trial which has conclusively demonstrated that our high-performing technology from the world of F1 can be delivered to passengers across the South West, transforming the on‑board experience. The combination of our EDGE hardware and Fleet ConnectTM software achieved record connection speeds and received overwhelmingly positive passenger feedback. By providing consistent, reliable and fast Wi‑Fi to hundreds of passengers every day we enabled numerous productive journeys across the region. We hope this provides all the evidence required for a full roll out that will deliver significant economic and social benefits for the region.”
Key findings from the pilot include:
Reliability: An internet connection was available 98% of the time, providing consistent performance even in traditionally difficult connectivity areas.
Quality: Download speeds improved by at least 100Mbps, matching superfast broadband standards. In some areas, speeds exceeded 400Mbps, placing them within the ultrafast broadband range.
Connectivity: Passengers connected 17,680 unique devices during the two-month trial, with average data usage of 186MB per person. The network supported a wide range of uses including Microsoft Teams and Zoom calls, cloud uploads, and streaming video and music.