Commuters on the South West Mainline, a critical rail artery connecting London to England’s southern coast, are grappling with spotty mobile coverage that leaves them disconnected for significant portions of their journeys, a new study has revealed.
Network analyst firm Streetwave conducted an anecdotal survey of 4G, 5G and mobile broadband performance along the 143-mile route operated by South Western Railway (SWR). The findings paint a troubling picture of the state of mobile connectivity on one of Britain’s busiest rail lines.
“Our simulated passenger was left without a dependable internet connection for 44 minutes with EE, the best performer,” said James Atkins, lead researcher at Streetwave. “On O2, the weakest network, that ballooned to a staggering 91 minutes.”
EE delivered the highest level of “essential coverage,” defined as minimum download speeds of 1 Mbps, upload speeds of 0.5 Mbps and latency under 100 milliseconds. But even the top provider could only muster 68% coverage along the route.
“It’s like taking a step back in time,” lamented daily commuter Sarah Thompson, 38. “I rely on my phone to stay productive during my two-hour trip. But instead, I’m left staring out the window, twiddling my thumbs.”
The other major networks fared even worse:
- Vodafone: 55% essential coverage
- Three UK: 42% essential coverage
- O2: 33% essential coverage
Rail passenger advocacy groups are calling on operators and the government to prioritize improvements. “In this day and age, a reliable mobile connection is a necessity, not a luxury,” said Thomas Jones of Transport Focus. “It’s time for action.”
SWR is taking steps to address the issue, partnering with FirstGroup to install “superfast trackside Wi-Fi” along a key stretch of the route. But industry observers say more comprehensive solutions are needed.
The lackluster performance is fueling the debate over whether some of the £1 billion earmarked for the Shared Rural Network initiative to expand coverage in remote areas should be diverted to bolstering connectivity along rail lines.
As 5G rollouts continue and more passengers return to the rails in our post-pandemic world, the pressure is on to ensure Britain’s critical transportation infrastructure can keep commuters connected. The future of work – and passenger sanity – may depend on it.
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