On-train internet connectivity pivotal for rail industry growth

Just as it celebrates its 25th anniversary, and as the industry it works in continues a transformation from the early days of onboard Wi-Fi to a multifaceted connectivity landscape, public transportation mobile internet connectivity provider Icomera has released research finding connectivity to be one of the priority elements for the rail sector, and that while satisfaction levels are generally high, there is a strong call for further investment from operators in onboard connectivity.

The On-train internet connectivity survey collected responses from 343 rail industry professionals working across a wide range of roles in Europe and North America. It was commissioned by Icomera, a subsidiary of energy and services firm Equans.

The results of the study are said to paint a clear picture: on-train internet connectivity’s role in the future of the rail industry will be multifaceted, and is seen as a pivotal element for the evolution of the rail industry by the people who will be responsible for overseeing it.

As many as 89% of rail professionals believe on-train internet connectivity is either very important (49.6%) or important (39.7%) for the industry’s future. Of the remaining respondents, 8.5% felt it was somewhat important, and just 2.4% found it not very important or not important at all.

In what may come as a surprise to rail users, almost three-quarters (72%) of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the current internet connectivity on trains when considering both passenger and operational applications, with the latter typically requiring less bandwidth than the former.

Icomera stressed that this finding contrasted with other surveys that focus purely on passengers’ perceptions of onboard Wi-Fi services, and that the discrepancy between the views of rail industry professionals and their passengers may be due to a combination of factors such as industry professionals taking operational applications into account when assessing the current state of on-train internet connectivity.

These often require less bandwidth than passenger Wi-Fi services and more often perform in line with expectations. Second, it suggested greater general awareness among rail industry professionals of the challenges involved in providing connectivity to and from a moving vehicle compared with passengers who, as paying customers, simply expect their Wi-Fi to work.

Overall, 87% were found to be advocating for increased investment in onboard internet connectivity to keep pace with increasing data demands to meet future passenger and operational needs.

Passenger Wi-Fi has historically been the most obvious application for onboard internet, and understandably receives a greater share of attention from the general public, yet when asked to give their opinion on what roles on-train internet connectivity could play in the future of the rail industry, the benefits for the passenger experience were most frequently recognised (by 64% of respondents), followed by operational efficiency (60%), and safety and security (40%).

The survey noted that the only regional deviation from this order was in mainland Europe, where Passenger Experience and Operational Efficiency opportunities were both recognised by 53% of respondents. Some 65% of North American professionals specifically highlighted the potential impact of connectivity on operational efficiency, more than any other region. Respondents from the UK were more inclined to emphasise the importance of connectivity for safety and security (47% of UK respondents).

Icomera added that it was already seeing a growing proportion of the internet connectivity it was delivering to trains being used by internet of things applications for remote monitoring and data analytics, improving the safety and operational efficiency of rail operations.