South Western Railway has begun a one‑year trial of satellite‑enabled onboard wifi between London Waterloo, Portsmouth Harbour and Weymouth, starting on 20 December 2025. The Department for Transport says the publicly owned operator is among the first in England to test low‑Earth orbit connectivity in regular service to improve reliability for passengers.
The pilot uses Starlink equipment on a Class 444 train and targets one of the route’s most persistent ‘not spot’ areas through the New Forest. Early testing reported by DfT and SWR indicates around 97% coverage along the corridor, addressing historical gaps that left passengers offline for more than 20 minutes.
Conventional train wifi relies on line‑side mobile networks and often struggles with bandwidth during busy periods or in remote locations. A low‑Earth orbit satellite backhaul is intended to deliver a more robust, consistent connection independent of local masts while integrating with existing onboard systems.
The trial sits alongside Project Reach, a national commercial partnership created to eliminate mobile signal blackspots in rail tunnels. According to the Department for Transport, first installation of tunnel mobile infrastructure is expected to begin in 2026 with full rollout by 2028, with the programme forecast to save taxpayers around £300 million.
Ministers frame these connectivity upgrades as early delivery ahead of Great British Railways reforms and the shift to a more passenger‑focused railway. With publicly owned operators now accounting for about 33% of passenger journeys in Great Britain, DfT argues that targeted digital investment can lift journey quality and support reliable operations.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy characterised a strong onboard connection as a significant improvement for festive travel. SWR’s Customer and Commercial Director Peter Williams said reliable wifi supports productivity, keeps people connected and makes rail a more attractive and sustainable choice under public ownership.
SWR reports wider operational progress under public ownership, including a fourfold increase in Arterio trains in service since May. The operator says this has raised morning peak capacity into London Waterloo by nearly 12%, with the new trains offering air conditioning, accessible toilets and charging points at every seat.
The announcement follows the second debate on the government’s Railways Bill in December 2025 and the decision to freeze regulated fares for the first time in 30 years. Officials present affordability and reliability measures as complementary elements of the Great British Railways programme.
Performance during the trial will be monitored across service conditions to evaluate stability, throughput and handover along the Waterloo–Portsmouth–Weymouth corridor. If results remain positive, SWR indicates the approach could be extended to more of its fleet and may prompt other publicly owned operators to consider similar adoption.
For passengers using the route this winter, the immediate change is practical: faster and more dependable onboard wifi through the New Forest. The trial provides an evidence base for connectivity decisions ahead of Project Reach works commencing in 2026 and a planned national rollout by 2028.