There are problems on the Ipswich to Lowestoft line

Wi-Fi to be launched on Norwich to London trains

Sunday, January 30, 2011
6:53 PM

Commuters travelling from Norwich to London will be able to surf the web while they travel from Tuesday.

The National Express East Anglia Wi-Fi project, which was paid for with a £364,000 contribution from the East of England Development Agency and Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, will mean travellers will now be able to pick up an internet signal on the Norwich to London intercity service.

Key representatives from the region’s business community will travel on an NXEA intercity service on Tuesday to launch the service.

According to the business community, the total capital investment provided by EEDA and the county councils will more than pay for itself in year one by making business travellers on the services more productive, and ensure significant benefits in subsequent years.

Andrew Chivers, Managing Director, NXEA said: “The project to install wi-fi on our intercity trains is a tremendous example of how a regional partnership can deliver a successful outcome in such a short period of time, ensuring major and significant benefits for rail passengers in the East of England, and illustrates our ongoing commitment to invest in improving train services for our customers.”

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council Cabinet member for travel and transport said: “Wi-fi on all Norwich to London Intercity trains will be a boon for businesses. The train journey to and from Norwich will be transformed from travel time to valuable office time, and to know that it will be available on every intercity train will be particularly pleasing for business travellers.”

Latest News

12 comments

Given that the County Council is scrapping around to save every penny why are they contributing to a free service ? Surely the business users could expect to pay. I thought this was the merit of 'private' provision- that it was cheaper and not a drain on the public purse

Report this comment

vincenta

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Yes, Wi-Fi is now available and this is progress, but when it has been paid for by OUR County Councils with OUR money, why has NEXA got the audacity to charge standard class passngers for the service. This Company needs to stop think and actually deliver a value added service to it's customers who already pay handsomely for it's shambolic service.

Report this comment

Andrew Barnes

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
backwater it is.. a trip of 100 miles takes 3 times as long as it should

Report this comment

richardts

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
At last! and can we have plugs to charge our laptops? Restaurant Car- please bring that back too - the new breakfast service from london to Norwich is beter than a micro waved bun- however the plastic knife and fork! the woman who serves who is so rude even Basil Fawlty would cringe - the lack of info before you get on s train service thats running late and no one told you before you got on - and the delays.....

Report this comment

richardts

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The last two times i was on a National Express train it was impossible to hear the announcements in the carriage . The radio transmitter and speakers were probably a a job lot of early Marconi prototypes bought on the cheap. If they have not mastered how to broadcast on speakers after 100 years i doubt their Wi-Fi will be up to much

Report this comment

CUTHBERT. J TWILLIE

Monday, January 31, 2011
Will those in Second class, sorry, STANDARD class get this wi-fi then? And presumably if National express are finally in the 21st century, are there any plans to improve the carriages...which are frankly Victorian when it comes to the standard of accomodation....nope...didn't think so....

Report this comment

Ziggy

Monday, January 31, 2011
It would help if they concentrated on getting the trains sorted out first. The service tofrom london is pretty poor. Often delayed, cancelled trains at short notice, and replacement bus service EVERY weekend for the last 2+ years (what on earth are they doing to that line?). And they just put the prices up. What a joke. No wonder there's no jobs in Norwich and it's stuck in the 1980s. Businesses will not relocate here because the transport links are so poor. Norfolk is the 'annex of England'.

Report this comment

ds99

Monday, January 31, 2011
They should sort out the train service before spending money on wi-fi. The train tofrom London is often delayed, or they cancel trains at the last minute, replacement bus service EVERY weekend for the last 3+ years. And they just out the prices up. It's a joke. No wonder Norwich is stuck in the 1980s with poorly paid jobs, no business wants to locate here as the transport links are so bad.

Report this comment

ds99

Monday, January 31, 2011
This is Great! At least in rural parts of Norfolk there is actually internet service....as long as one is on the train!

Report this comment

MrTrips

Sunday, January 30, 2011
Amazing something other train operators have been offering for years so NXEA isn't exactly a groundbreaker in the idea. Considering how many users have the ability to use a mobile broadband dongle or a handset to act as a modem to already gain internet access, maybe NXEA could have used the money on oh better trains which run ontime. Maybe people would prefer that to the ability to access ismytrainlateagain.com

Report this comment

chebram71

Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wi-fi on trains? Gosh, we are moving with the times. Next we'll be able to make video calls around Norfolk and get a decent digital radio signal.

Report this comment

Jono Read

Sunday, January 30, 2011
and how much will they be charging for this 'service'?

Report this comment

Ron Luton-Brown

Sunday, January 30, 2011