SWR train trials Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet to fix New Forest blackspot

South Western Railway (SWR) passengers used high-speed Starlink wifi to fix a “major signal blackspot” in the New Forest at the weekend.

The satellite internet connection was trialled on a Class 444 train service between London Waterloo, Portsmouth Harbour and Weymouth on 20 December.

Rail passengers have long struggled with the connection of onboard wifi that uses mobile networks, when travelling through both busy and remote areas.

SWR said: “This upgrade will significantly improve coverage throughout the New Forest – historically a major signal blackspot, leaving passengers without internet for over 20 minutes.”

Starlink, technology from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, uses a constellation of thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver a “stronger, more resilient and reliable connection”, said SWR.

According to the rail operator, early testing shows a 97 per cent coverage rate across the route so far for faster, stronger streaming.

Peter Williams, SWR’s customer and commercial director, said: “We know how important reliable wifi is to our customers – it supports productivity, keeps people connected and entertained and makes rail an even more attractive and sustainable way to travel.

“By bringing satellite technology to our trains, we’re covering some of the hardest-to-reach parts of the network and showing that seamless connectivity is possible wherever you travel.”

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy added: “A good wifi signal can transform a journey and SWR’s wifi trial is a game-changer for passengers.

“With Christmas and New Year celebrations just around the corner, passengers travelling for the holidays can enjoy their journeys knowing they’ll stay connected – whether that’s to watch their favourite festive films, do last-minute shopping or catch up with loved ones at this special time of year.”

The move follows the creation of Project Reach, a national infrastructure partnership to eliminate mobile signal blackspots in tunnels on key UK rail routes by 2028.

Read more: I rode Britain’s ‘best wifi-connected train’ – this is my verdict