South Western Railway (SWR) has begun testing satellite-powered onboard Wi-Fi on UK passenger trains, marking one of the most advanced rail connectivity trials in the country to date. The pilot uses Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite network to deliver reliable internet access on routes that have long struggled with mobile signal coverage.
The trial is running on a Class 444 train operating between London Waterloo, Portsmouth Harbour, and Weymouth — a route that passes through the New Forest, an area notorious for persistent mobile signal blackspots. By relying on satellites instead of ground-based cellular towers, the system is designed to deliver consistent coverage even in remote or heavily forested sections of the network.
Early results Starlink is working as advertised. SWR says the satellite system has achieved coverage levels of up to 97 percent so far, dramatically reducing the dropouts that passengers typically experience when travelling through rural areas.
The Starlink pilot is part of a broader connectivity overhaul underway at South Western Railway. Earlier this year, the company introduced superfast Rail-5G Wi-Fi on sections of its network using trackside antenna technology, delivering speeds claimed to be up to 20 times faster than traditional mobile-based onboard Wi-Fi. At the same time, SWR upgraded its fleet with multi-SIM technology, allowing trains to automatically switch between mobile networks to maintain the strongest possible signal.
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What makes the latest trial notable is how all of these systems work together. Rather than relying on a single connection type, trains are now equipped to dynamically switch between satellite, trackside 5G, and mobile networks in real time. The goal is a seamless experience where passengers are always connected to the best available option without needing to think about how their internet is being delivered.
SWR says the impact is already visible in passenger behaviour. Wi-Fi usage across the network has surged 58 percent, with more than a million customers now connecting each month. Travellers are increasingly treating train journeys like an extension of their home or office — streaming music and video, attending virtual meetings, and staying productive throughout the trip instead of waiting for coverage to return.
If the 12-month Starlink trial continues to deliver strong results, SWR will expand satellite connectivity to more routes across its fleet.
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