National Express says that the number of travellers using its onboard East Coast rail line free wi-fi service has tripled during its first month.
The train operator ” which recently won the franchise from GNER ” committed to offering free wi-fi access as part of its franchise win and says that usage has more than tripled.
Prior to the 9 December takeover, wi-fi was formerly only free in First Class and cost a hefty ”4.95 (”9.83) in Standard carriages. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the complimentary offer has seen users rise from 30,000 to more than 100,000 users in January alone.
”The popularity of the service has surpassed our expectations and we expect to see even bigger increases in the future,” said National Express East Coast head of communications Alan Hyde.
Research from the operator has shown that more than 85% of passengers carrying a laptop choose to use the wi-fi service at some point during their journey.
”Anecdotally, major employers along the East Coast route tell us that the addition of wi-fi is another reason for them to switch from air to rail, as it is much easier for employees to stay in touch,” said Hyde.
The news follows Network Rail”s plans announced on Monday (3 March) to add more and longer trains on the East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburgh to keep pace with huge passenger growth projection of 40% by 2016.