National
Express East Coast railway has witnessed a surge in passengers using Wi-Fi
in the month since offering the service for free to all travellers.
Prior to December last year, when National Express took over the line from
GNER, only First Class travellers enjoyed Wi-Fi as a complimentary service.
Passengers throughout the rest of the train had to spend £4.95 per hour.
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But the number of users has increased threefold since offering Wi-Fi for
free, from 30,000 a month to more than 100,000 in January.
National Express East Coast's Wi-Fi service picked up 'Innovation of the
Year' at last year's National Rail Awards for its pioneering efforts to offer
passengers high speed internet access on its train journeys.
According to the company, the free service is used by more than 85 per cent
of passengers carrying a laptop.
"The popularity of the service has surpassed our expectations and we are
delighted to have had such a positive impact on people's journeys," said Alan
Hyde, head of communications at National Express East Coast.
The popularity of the service has surpassed our expectations
Alan Hyde Head of communications, National Express East Coast
"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 their employees to stay in touch and keep working while on
the move.
"In addition, customers can enjoy the benefit of frequent, city to city
services that are comfortable and good value, and more reliable and
environmentally-friendly than travelling by air."
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