March 5th 2015 – Chiltern Railway’s free Wi-Fi service has reached a new milestone: five million users since the service’s launch. Running the main route between London and Birmingham, Chiltern became one of the earliest operators to provide passenger Wi-Fi when they implemented the service on all of their Birmingham to London trains September 2011.
In the first year of Chiltern’s onboard Wi-Fi service, passenger volume increased by 45%, a figure attributed in part to Icomera’s connectivity solution. Moreover, since its launch, monthly user numbers of the Wi-Fi have increased by over 500%, and with an average session length of 32 minutes, Chiltern Railways’ passengers are making the most of the high-speed connection, supplied by Icomera’s powerful X-series platform.
Alan Riley, Head of On Train Service at Chiltern Railways, commented: “More and more people want to connect to the Internet as they travel, and the prevalence of tablets and smartphones makes it easier and easier to do so. We invested in reliable passenger Wi-Fi early, and it’s clear that it is paying off: our passengers are connecting often and in greater numbers than ever before.”
Dave Palmer, Managing Director of Icomera UK, added “Chiltern Railways is a trail-blazer, and it is no surprise that they are reaping these rewards from their Wi-Fi service. The history of the company is one of high passenger care and satisfaction, twinned with business savvy, embracing technology and the benefits it can bring to both operators and travellers. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Chiltern as they continue to deliver on the high standards they set for themselves.”
About Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is an innovative UK transport operator, owned by Deutsche Bahn AG and a part of Arriva. It runs services from London Marylebone, connecting the capital with Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. Known for putting its passengers first, it is the highest rated DfT franchised operator in the UK for passenger satisfaction according to the most recent National Passenger Survey conducted by Passenger Focus.
