03 June 2025

After several delays, South Western Railway (SWR) has announced that its new rail-side 5G mast network is now operational along a 70km stretch of its Main Line into London, between Basingstoke and Earlsfield.

This innovative ‘Rail-5G’ solution, supported by FirstGroup’s rail division, involves track-side 5G mobile masts designed to deliver superfast onboard WiFi.

Initially planned for early 2023, the deployment took longer but now offers internet speeds reportedly up to 20 times faster than the previous average, making SWR the first train operator in Europe to introduce rail-5G WiFi. While other operators have used similar solutions, SWR’s upgraded network aims to significantly improve connectivity, especially compared to earlier flaky onboard WiFi.

The company previously trailed a version of this technology on the Isle of Wight, achieving consistent broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps on a moving train. The current multi-gigabit network is described as delivering multi-gigabit internet capacity, enhancing the onboard experience for passengers.

Peter Williams, SWR’s Customer and Commercial Director, emphasized the benefits: passengers can stream, download, video call, and work seamlessly, making train travel more productive and enjoyable. SWR also highlighted survey results showing that 41% of UK adults would be more likely to choose train travel if onboard WiFi was fast and reliable — rising to 64% among 16-24-year-olds — underscoring the importance of quality connectivity in boosting rail’s appeal.