Free wi-fi for (Irish) rail users

Amalgam

I like the bit about eventually extending it to the DART.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/free-wifi-for-rail-users-2126078.html

independent.ie - Tuesday April 06 2010

Tuesday April 06 2010

Free wi-fi for rail users

Rail users can make use of free wi-fi internet access on selected Dublin to Cork services, Iarnrod Eireann has said.

An initial trial of the service will last six months while rail chiefs assess the uptake.

Iarnrod Eireann said coverage was strong on the Dublin to Cork line, with access to mobile broadband networks from O2, Vodafone and 3.

If successful, the service will be rolled out to other routes including Intercity, DART and Commuter services.

"Many customers are already travelling with us because rail travel offers the scope to use travel time productively," said an Iarnrod Eireann spokesman.

"Wi-fi obviously broadens such scope dramatically."

Tests have shown that passengers should be able to get download speeds of up to 3.5 megabytes.

Press Association

AlmightyCushion

Don't use the train much anymore but when I was working in Dublin I used the dart every day and got the train to sligo every weekend. I would have killed for this. Great news. Hopefully they roll it out quickly

Victor

As its says, its only a trial at the moment on one set - I believe is is 4008.

Cabaal

Nice start, curious how much they'll charge for it when it goes live though

bk

Cabaal wrote: »

Nice start, curious how much they'll charge for it when it goes live though

Personally I think it should be free.

Tickets on the Cork to Dublin line are already outrageously expensive. And with the new Cork to Dublin Motorway almost complete, going by car is now faster and cheaper.

The one advantage the train has is that you can work and play on it. Therefore they need to offer free wifi to make the train more attractive.

If a bus coach can offer free wifi on €10 tickets, IrishRail can sure as hell offer free wifi on €78 tickets to Cork (that is standard monthly return, not even premium).

Cabaal

bk wrote: »

Personally I think it should be free.

So do I, but this is Irish Rail we';re talking about

Tickets on the Cork to Dublin line are already outrageously expensive. And with the new Cork to Dublin Motorway almost complete, going by car is now faster and cheaper.

The one advantage the train has is that you can work and play on it. Therefore they need to offer free wifi to make the train more attractive.

If a bus coach can offer free wifi on €10 tickets, IrishRail can sure as hell offer free wifi on €78 tickets to Cork (that is standard monthly return, not even premium).

Tickets are a joke alright, practically no difference between buying a return or one way ticket for Waterford to Dublin....makes no sense

TheChrisD

Ah so it's only on the Cork line. That explains when I was using it last Saturday week when going from Dublin to Galway, that it cut off as soon as I left Heuston

Cabaal

So rep for Irish Rail on the Last Word yesterday evening, he stated they'd be testing different pricing models.......so no free wifi then lads

Dero

Charging for this service is silly and surely counter-productive.

I'm guessing that a lot of people who would make use of it would have mobile broadband themselves anyway. It could and should be used as an incentive to get people out of cars and into trains. A lot of people could make productive use of their commute time with Internet access, but not many would choose to switch to rail if they have to pay for the wifi separately.

AlmightyCushion

Cabaal wrote: »

So rep for Irish Rail on the Last Word yesterday evening, he stated they'd be testing different pricing models.......so no free wifi then lads

If it was really cheap (like €1 a trip) then I'd still get it but if it starts going above €5 that's when I wouldn't bother.

Stinicker

bk wrote: »

Personally I think it should be free.

Tickets on the Cork to Dublin line are already outrageously expensive. And with the new Cork to Dublin Motorway almost complete, going by car is now faster and cheaper.

The one advantage the train has is that you can work and play on it. Therefore they need to offer free wifi to make the train more attractive.

If a bus coach can offer free wifi on €10 tickets, IrishRail can sure as hell offer free wifi on €78 tickets to Cork (that is standard monthly return, not even premium).

The Motorway is far superior to Irish Rail yes but is really only cost efficient if you are taking a passenger as it is 240Km/s from Dunkettle to the Red Cow and with current petrol costs at €1.30/litre means that the fuel cost for the run would be €60 at 30MPG but for a TDi Diesel doing 50MPG with current Diesel Prices at €1.22/litre would see the cost fall €33.50 for the Journey.

Ryanair are €45 return if you could plan ahead and add €12 for the bus return to the city centre and the difference between Motorway and flying are not huge if you have a car with average fuel consumption <35MPG.

For me I'd just fly as it easier and less stressful than dealing with the morons who can't drive on the Motorway and being restricted to a snails pace 120km/h when the speed limit should be at least 160km/h with a minimum of 120km/h.

Irish Rail are a ripoff disaster and I never use them and prefer to fly or drive unless totally unavoidable. I know Kerry people who have flights booked with Ryanair to Dublin for the All-Ireland final this year and got them for like €25 return and if you can book ahead flying beats Motorway and Trains, although they are optimistic with that one I reckon!

Eoin_Sheehy

'Bout f**kin' time, gauranteed all other European countries' rail systems have WiFi on trains.

zeris

Eoin_Sheehy wrote: »

'Bout f**kin' time, gauranteed all other European countries' rail systems have WiFi on trains.

Is this a fact or something you just pulled out of your arse?

Anyway, Thalys in Europe charge 6.50€ for 60 min or unlimited access during your entire journey for €13. 1st class gets free Wi-Fi.

Cabaal

Eoin_Sheehy wrote: »

'Bout f**kin' time, gauranteed all other European countries' rail systems have WiFi on trains.

All others have wifi, hmm I'd like to see something back them claim up

Stinicker

zeris wrote: »

Is this a fact or something you just pulled out of your arse?

Anyway, Thalys in Europe charge 6.50€ for 60 min or unlimited access during your entire journey for €13. 1st class gets free Wi-Fi.

QFT, I have used Deutsch Bahn several times and not had any wifi, however what I had was a train system that works and was affordable, so I think I could live without the wifi if I was living there as they have decent Mobile internet services unlike the rubbish services provided here.

PogMoThoin

Stinicker wrote: »

QFT, I have used Deutsch Bahn several times and not had any wifi, however what I had was a train system that works and was affordable, so I think I could live without the wifi if I was living there as they have decent Mobile internet services unlike the rubbish services provided here.

We'd have a top class mobile internet service if it was just used for mobile users not as a real fixed broadband replacement, which its not

mystic86

maybe there is another thread on this that I missed... I'm just on the train here using the free wi-fi - I did a speed test there and I'm getting 1.25MB download and .41MB upload with ping of 185ms

Just incase anyone is interested.

train still sitting in platform, not left yet

AlmightyCushion

mystic86 wrote: »

maybe there is another thread on this that I missed... I'm just on the train here using the free wi-fi - I did a speed test there and I'm getting 1.25MB download and .41MB upload with ping of 185ms

Just incase anyone is interested.

train still sitting in platform, not left yet

Did it cost you anything?

mystic86

ya its free

im on train stopped at limerick junction now and the speed test is showing .07MBps!!

Victor

mystic86 wrote: »

ya its free

im on train stopped at limerick junction now and the speed test is showing .07MBps!!

Other people have started using it.

Sierra Oscar

Bit of a bump I know, but I use the Dublin - Cork train pretty often (weekly) and I am yet to come across this WiFi service. I used it once or twice since the trials, but has it not been fully rolled out yet?