Train wi-fi at risk as part of cost-cutting move

Rail users may lose access to wi-fi on trains as part of cost-cutting measures after the government said it was a low priority for passengers.

The Department for Transport says cost pressures mean it will review whether the current wi-fi service "delivers the best possible value for money".

But one rail expert criticised the move and said trains could lose custom as a result.

Most operators currently offer free wi-fi as standard on their services.

Transport officials cited a report from Transport Focus which they said showed passengers were more concerned about value for money, reliability and punctuality than access to wi-fi.

"Our railways are currently not financially sustainable, and it is unfair to continue asking taxpayers to foot the bill, which is why reform of all aspects of the railways is essential," the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

"Passenger surveys consistently show that on-train wi-fi is low on their list of priorities, so it is only right we work with operators to review whether the current service delivers the best possible value for money."

On-train wi-fi equipment installed in 2015 is now in need of replacing and the government said many people on short journeys did not connect to the on-train wi-fi, and used their mobile phone network instead.

But Christian Wolmar, whose podcast Calling All Stations first reported the DfT's move, said passengers needed the reliability of a train's wi-fi, especially on longer journeys.

"People expect to be able to use wi-fi on a train in the same way they would use a toilet," he said.

Mr Wolmar said the equipment would still have to be replaced for staff purposes, so any savings would be a "relatively trivial amount".

Ultimately, he said the railways would suffer: "I think the operators will lose customers over this, using a train is a marginal thing anyway for many people."

Mr Wolmar said train operators had received a letter from the DfT informing them of the decision to pull funding unless they could make a good business case for keeping it.

He told the BBC he expected most services to lose access to wi-fi "over the next year or two".