Arriva’s three way partnership rail business LOROL is providing passengers with Wi-Fi access at 50 stations at the London Overground network.
The service, from Wi-Fi provider The Cloud, is free for the 1st 60 minutes at each station and enables passengers to make use of their mobile devices to browse the net, use social networks and get free, real-time travel information from Transport for London (TfL).
The final seven stations at the London Overground network may be connected by the tip of June.
Peter Austin, managing director of LOROL, which delivers London Overground services on behalf of TfL, signed the contract with The Cloud.
Peter said: “We are always searching for tips on how to make the London Overground much more convenient than it already is and believe the introduction of free Wi-Fi can only improve and enhance our passenger journeys.
“It complements the trendy commuting railway service we already offer and can be fitting for what’s among the finest performing railways within the UK.”
Vince Russell, managing director on the Cloud, said: “London Overground stations are a hive of activity for folk travelling inside and outside of London.
“This is mainly true of workers commuting into town.
“For these people, the power to examine emails or even access work documents at the go is very important.
‘Relying on 3G or 4G connection in locations where network traffic is available in peaks signifies that passengers are often left frustrated at slow connection times during busier periods.
“We’re delighted to be working with London Overground to present this service in order to offer a quick, reliable internet connection to people as they anticipate their trains.”
Howard Smith, chief rail operating officer for TfL London Rail, which manages the London Overground service, said: “We have modernised many areas of London Overground – the train fleet, the stations and the signalling. It’s now the best performing railways within the UK.
“TfL supports the introduction of this new facility as we see direct communications between passengers as perfectly complementing our own information services.
“In recent years the cost of passenger-to-passenger communication during service disruptions have been well demonstrated and we’re happy to further enable and support that phenomenon as an enhancement to our modern, 21st century railway within the capital.”
London Overground passengers may have 60 minutes free internet access daily, at each station, through a one-time registration process.
Major stations at the network now Wi-Fi-enabled include:
• North London: Willesden Junction and West Hampstead
• South London: New Cross Gate, Forest Hill, West Croydon and Norwood Junction
• East London: Surrey Quays, Dalston, Wapping and Hackney Central
• West London: Kensington Olympia and Shepherd’s Bush