View Full Version : All intercity trains fitted with free wifi
Colm Moore
09-07-2012, 03:42
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0709/1224319634909.htmlAll intercity trains fitted with free wifi
CONOR POPE, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
THE TEDIUM of the train journey should be lifted for many passengers from this week after Irish Rail announced all its intercity trains are now equipped with free wifi.
The company introduced the service, which offers download speeds of up to 3.5 megabytes per second, on the Dublin-Cork service on a trial basis in 2010 before rolling it out on all services between the two cities last year.
Irish Rail now plans to introduce wifi on the Dart and commuter fleet over the course of the summer with the support of the National Transport Authority.
The Belfast Enterprise train will be online by the end of the year.
“One of the great benefits of rail travel is that you can use your travelling time productively . . . and giving our customers free wifi will only add to this,” a company spokesman said. Another improvement has seen carriages with plug sockets fitted at every seat so passengers can charge devices.
James Howard
09-07-2012, 06:59
I just noticed the network on the 0545 Sligo - Dublin train but I tried joining it around Enfield and it didn't work. I can't say I am surprised that it didn't work and Enfield has a very strong 3 mobile signal.
I'll try a couple of more times and see if the issue was just localised. I get a connection but a warning that there is no internet connection so it looks like the wifi is working but the system has no network connection.
Kilocharlie
09-07-2012, 08:58
I just noticed the network on the 0545 Sligo - Dublin train but I tried joining it around Enfield and it didn't work. I can't say I am surprised that it didn't work and Enfield has a very strong 3 mobile signal.
I'll try a couple of more times and see if the issue was just localised. I get a connection but a warning that there is no internet connection so it looks like the wifi is working but the system has no network connection.
It was reported a while back and I encountered it once is that the Wifi may be available but not yet connected to the internet. Was there a WiFi sticker at the end of the carraige?
Most trains out of Heuston has active and workin Wifi
James Howard
09-07-2012, 12:18
I didn't notice a WiFi sticker when getting on but I wasn't terribly awake so it might have been there. So perhaps the Irish Times article means it will be in place by the end of the week.
All intercity trains fitted with free wifi
...
The Belfast Enterprise train will be online by the end of the year.
At the risk of being a pedant, it's not all the intercity trains if Dublin - Belfast won't be done for another six months. Still good news is good news.
I assume this includes Rosslare/Dublin line !!
shweeney
09-07-2012, 13:46
I assume this includes Rosslare/Dublin line !!
according to this (http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4644&p=116&n=237)yes, but given the ropey 3G coverage along the line not sure how well it will work (there's no 3G at all between Blackrock and Killiney for a start).
Colm Moore
09-07-2012, 14:30
http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4644&p=116&n=237Free WiFi now on all Intercity trains - coming soon to DART, Commuter, Enterprise
09 July 2012
Iarnród Éireann has announced that all of the company’s Intercity trains are now equipped with free WiFi.
Already operating on services on the 67 carriages of the Dublin-Cork fleet since last year, the service has proven a huge hit with rail customers on the route. The equipping of the new 234-carriage Intercity railcar fleet, by Irish company FleetConnect, means that every Intercity route on the network now has free WiFi, covering:
- Dublin-Cork
- Dublin-Sligo
- Dublin-Westport
- Dublin-Galway
- Dublin-Limerick
- Dublin/Cork-Kerry
- Dublin-Waterford
- Dublin-Rosslare
One of the great benefits of rail travel is that you can use your travelling time productively, for work or leisure, and free wi-fi for customers will only add to this. Customers can use their smartphones, media devices, tablets, laptops and more while on their journey. Customers on the Intercity railcar fleet, which are now equipped with free wifi, also have plug sockets at every seat, so they can charge their devices as they travel for maximum convenience.
Iarnród Éireann is also planning to introduce wi-fi on the DART and Commuter fleet during the summer of 2012, with the support of the National Transport Authority. Furthermore, the company is working with Translink to equip the Belfast Enterprise train with wi-fi by the end of 2012.
This will make the Iarnród Éireann fleet one of the most wi-fi connected fleets in Europe, and is the latest phase in service improvements from the rail company.
Services are operated by the newest Intercity fleet in Europe, giving high standards of comfort on board.
Technology
Irish company FleetConnect has been chosen by Iarnród Éireann to provide broadband Wi-Fi services to its passengers on the Intercity railcar fleet, having already equipped the Dublin/Cork fleet. FleetConnect and its technology partner, Sweden-based Icomera AB, were selected to supply a complete internet access solution based on the market-leading Icomera X6 Mobile Access and Applications Router. The system is already installed on trains in the UK, Europe and North America.
FleetConnect and Icomera will be working with Iarnród Éireann to equip their trains with its industry-leading on-train broadband solution, which uses its patented SureWAN™ technology to seamlessly switch between and aggregate multiple mobile data networks to ensure always-on broadband connectivity in every carriage, for passengers, crew and onboard systems as the train moves through its journey.
Connecting to Free WiFi on Iarnród Éireann Intercity services
Connection to the system is easy, with on-screen assistance for customers on board. Simply turn on your laptop, connect to 'IRISHRAIL- WIFI' and open your internet brower.
Customers who encounter any problems can call the WiFi Support team on 01-8809600 (Monday-Friday 06.00 - 23.00) or email support@fleetconnect.ie
Thomas J Stamp
09-07-2012, 15:30
its wifi, i imagine, in the same way i have wifi at home thanks to a little gizmo i got from 3. it, of course, isnt any good if the 3G service it is connecting to is NBS rubbish. Since i live about 500m form the Cork mainline I can vouch for how intermittant and rubbish the 3G in north tipp is.
my neighbour got a very big satilitte dish from the NBS which i will have to get, for example.
there is also a general ban on all the fun wifi stuff, like the rte player, because of cost issues.
Mark Gleeson
09-07-2012, 16:49
The train box has modems for O2 and Vodafone and possibly others, it can take up to 8 different sim cards
It combines them together so you should nearly always get some coverage, so for most locations it should beat a usb stick modem
James Howard
09-07-2012, 16:58
I am sitting in Connolly station on the 1805 to Longford and have just tested it at 1.2 mbps which is not too shabby especially considering that my 3 mobile doesn't work properly in Connolly at all. Connolly issues notwithstanding, I find that 3 works reasonably well on the Sligo line so given that they should get a much strong signal from a proper external antenna I have reasonably high hopes.
The only issue I can see is that it is a mistake to rely on an honour system for people to steer clear of streaming services. As the great Mr Scott said, you can't change the laws of physics. It simply isn't possible to provide a 1mbps stream to 400 people on the one mobile connection so if people start to abuse it, they will mess it up for everyone.
It would be sensible also to block update sites for the more common mobile and desktop operating systems as lot of people have their machines set up to automatically download updates.
dowlingm
09-07-2012, 19:44
It simply isn't possible to provide a 1mbps stream to 400 people on the one mobile connection so if people start to abuse it, they will mess it up for everyone.
It would be sensible also to block update sites for the more common mobile and desktop operating systems as lot of people have their machines set up to automatically download updates.+1, especially with iOS 6 due soon :D
I assume this includes Rosslare/Dublin line !!
according to this (http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4644&p=116&n=237)yes, but given the ropey 3G coverage along the line not sure how well it will work (there's no 3G at all between Blackrock and Killiney for a start).
So surprise surprise doesn't seem to be any wifi on the Rosslare/Dublin line, it's not a signal issue as it's not even coming up in the list of wifi's available for the whole journey. Can we find out what the story is please?
Mark Gleeson
17-07-2012, 14:10
Wifi should work on all ICR/22k trains nationwide, assuming all are actually fitted as Irish Rail claim. I have a confirmed report of working wifi on a Rosslare Dublin service.
The Blackrock to Killiney section plus Bray Greystones will never have good coverage due geography and even use of satellite would not solve this.
The coverage around Rathdrum is surprisingly good, but Arklow Gorey is poor
dowlingm
17-07-2012, 22:50
The Blackrock to Killiney section plus Bray Greystones will never have good coverage due geography and even use of satellite would not solve this.GSM-R for DART might be the ultimate solution, with the GSM-R bit being hardwired repeaters (similar to those deployed in subway systems) and then the telcos piggybacking. Question is when the shekels will be scraped together to fund that.
Mark Gleeson
18-07-2012, 01:12
Irish Rail's GSM-R contract does include a data option
Colm Moore
18-07-2012, 04:12
The trick is to charge the phone companies for deploying antennae on railway property. They won't charge any extra per minute to their customers, but will get extra revenue as there will be more minutes. Use that rent to off-set he cost of the wi-fi.
dowlingm
19-07-2012, 03:40
similar arrangement going to be done in the Channel Tunnel.
Wifi should work on all ICR/22k trains nationwide, assuming all are actually fitted as Irish Rail claim. I have a confirmed report of working wifi on a Rosslare Dublin service.
The Blackrock to Killiney section plus Bray Greystones will never have good coverage due geography and even use of satellite would not solve this.
The coverage around Rathdrum is surprisingly good, but Arklow Gorey is poor
Hi Mark, on all Rosslare trains or just one, it has definitely not been available on any of the journeys I have been on. Can we find out for definite? I have contacted Irish rail myself but no response yet. It's false advertising. I use mobile broadband every day at the moment so I know the sections it should be available, even if the signal is poor it should still come up in a search for wifi signals and it never does.
Hi Mark, on all Rosslare trains or just one, it has definitely not been available on any of the journeys I have been on. Can we find out for definite? I have contacted Irish rail myself but no response yet. It's false advertising. I use mobile broadband every day at the moment so I know the sections it should be available, even if the signal is poor it should still come up in a search for wifi signals and it never does.
I'm on the morning down sevice at the moment (9.58 ex Dun Laoghaire, carriage 22209) and can confirm that while there is wifi, the router isn't handing out IP addresses, so you just end up with a 169 address, so not much use really. I'm seeing two access points, same channel so I presume one ap in each end.
sublimity
19-07-2012, 10:40
Hi Mark, on all Rosslare trains or just one, it has definitely not been available on any of the journeys I have been on. Can we find out for definite? I have contacted Irish rail myself but no response yet. It's false advertising..
Indeed you hit the nail on the head - FALSE ADVERTISING.
Currently the 13:36 to Rosslare is a 4 piece 29000. Not sure about the evening services but I'd assume they are also 29k operated?
I mean seriously, is anyone else not ****** off that Wexford/Rosslare still has Commuter trains today?
In order for this route to grow, we need every service Intercity standard with the Wi Fi facility on board ( regardless of bad coverage in some spots)
I'm on the morning down sevice at the moment (9.58 ex Dun Laoghaire, carriage 22209) and can confirm that while there is wifi, the router isn't handing out IP addresses, so you just end up with a 169 address, so not much use really. I'm seeing two access points, same channel so I presume one ap in each end.
Indeed you hit the nail on the head - FALSE ADVERTISING.
Currently the 13:36 to Rosslare is a 4 piece 29000. Not sure about the evening services but I'd assume they are also 29k operated?
I mean seriously, is anyone else not ****** off that Wexford/Rosslare still has Commuter trains today?
In order for this route to grow, we need every service Intercity standard with the Wi Fi facility on board ( regardless of bad coverage in some spots)
So is it only the new Intercity trains that have wifi then? The 05:35 out of Rosslare is a 29k and two out of the three back down to Wexford in the evening are 29k's too (16:37 & 17:36).
And, YES, I am very ****** off that we still have these commuter trains but no one cares except us idiots on it each day! I would at least like to get to the bottom of this wifi issue.
Mark Gleeson
19-07-2012, 15:05
All ICR/22k services are meant to have wifi, as I posted I have a confirmed report from a passenger that they have used wifi on an ICR service between Rosslare and Dublin
Irish Rail's wording is 'intercity trains' and doesn't state all trains on a specific route are fitted. So if its a 29k (some of which actually have wifi too) it falls outside the description published.
Based on past experience and feedback from the ASAI (plus the wifi is free) no complaint would be upheld
Colm Moore
19-07-2012, 15:05
So is it only the new Intercity trains that have wifi then? The 05:35 out of Rosslare is a 29k and two out of the three back down to Wexford in the evening are 29k's too (16:37 & 17:36).
And, YES, I am very ****** off that we still have these commuter trains but no one cares except us idiots on it each day! I would at least like to get to the bottom of this wifi issue.
It is on all intercity branded trains (the vehicles, not the services) at the moment. It will be added to Enterprise, Commuter & DART branded trains.
James Howard
20-07-2012, 06:37
At this stage I have given up on it and gone back to my phone - it is completely unreliable. On at least one train on the Sligo line it does't work at all - the network is there but neither my laptop, ipad or phone can connect to it and I can't see the login page. When it does work, it is glitchy and its failure modes are very bad - you see error pages from a Squid proxy,
Basically, I get a better service off my phone (three) so I'll stick with that. For commuters and anybody travelling for business, this sort of service is useless if isn't reliable. There is no point in turning up for a train expecting to get a couple of hours work done and then discovering that the service isn't working. If you have to back it up you might as well just use your backup.
I understand that the service is highly dependent on the quality of the phone network and there are large stretches of the Sligo line with no coverage such as between Mullingar and Killucan but if my phone gets a signal, then this system should be able to get a signal. It isn't even as if it is heavily used on the early morning service - most of the long-haulers are asleep on this train.
But it is excellent value at the price :-)
Thomas J Stamp
20-07-2012, 09:52
well, i can certifiy that whenever i have tried to use the wifi on the cork-dublin line its usually rubbish. in fact three times i have just closed the laptop and gazed out the window instead to calm down after the experiance.
Seems the 29k's on the Rosslare line now have wi-fi, is this a sign they are not going anytime soon?
Jamie2k9
04-10-2012, 15:13
The whole IR fleet will have wifi by end of 2012, not sure if that timeline applies to Belfast services.
Mark Gleeson
04-10-2012, 19:47
The entire 29k fleet should be fitted at this stage. Not formally advertised but it may work
DART fleet is next up for WIFI and I have seen a few units with the 3G antenna units fitted
James Howard
15-01-2013, 18:23
Have any regular travellers derived any benefit whatsoever from this service? I have given it a whirl a few times and it vaguely works if there is hardly anybody on the train. But once the train gets more that a quarter full, it is back to the phone. I have spoken to a couple of others and they have had the same experience.
Basically this service is a complete waste of money. They might actually be better off charging a couple of euro for it as then at least it would be some use to those who pay for it.
What kind of money would this infrastructure have cost to install? Is it possible that they could have funded the services that have been cancelled in the new timetable with this sort of cash?
Inniskeen
15-01-2013, 21:14
Have given up on the onboard Wi-Fi, too slow to be of any practical use, 3G almost invariably much faster.
I find it better than my phone since Meteor seem to have huge black holes between the M50 and Clonsilla where I can only get EDGE speed, which is useless.
James Howard
16-01-2013, 08:34
I guess it is good as a backup for some people and tourists on roaming will probably put up with the poor speed.
I have found that it tends to die in the same places as my phone though, so I suspect that on the Sligo line it is relying very heavily on 3 infrastructure.
Mark Gleeson
16-01-2013, 11:52
I recorded a download speed of over 7Mbps one day, so the on train gear is more than capable of offering good service
The problems are poor coverage and heavy usage, looking at 20+ per coach at times
Thomas J Stamp
16-01-2013, 12:42
I suspect that on the Sligo line it is relying very heavily on 3 infrastructure.
The problems are poor coverage and heavy usage, looking at 20+ per coach at times
we mentioned before that this is just a piggy back into the mobile broadband service. i have a 3 wifi hotspot thing on my kitchen table does the same, and sometimes falls asunder when a train goes past as everyone on it hops into the vodafone mast in Ballysorrell.
Kilocharlie
16-01-2013, 15:04
I recorded a download speed of over 7Mbps one day, so the on train gear is more than capable of offering good service
The problems are poor coverage and heavy usage, looking at 20+ per coach at times
Is there an antenna per coach or per train?
Mark Gleeson
16-01-2013, 15:53
One WIFI box per unit, two antenna's on the roof
It uses Voda/O2/Meteor I think for the backhaul, so in ideal conditions you could get 60mbps to the train, thats theory
Jamie2k9
16-01-2013, 18:28
One WIFI box per unit, two antenna's on the roof
It uses Voda/O2/Meteor I think for the backhaul, so in ideal conditions you could get 60mbps to the train, thats theory
Would that mean that a 2*3 set operating a route be able to cope with a much higher volume of users than a 6 peice set?
Mark Gleeson
16-01-2013, 20:28
On a practical basis yes 2*3 would have better internet than a 6 piece, in a congested area, in the middle of nowhere no real difference
Thomas Ralph
17-01-2013, 21:01
I recorded a download speed of over 7Mbps one day, so the on train gear is more than capable of offering good service
The problems are poor coverage and heavy usage, looking at 20+ per coach at times
Have they blocked streaming yet?
longword
18-01-2013, 07:55
Have they blocked streaming yet?
The big name streaming streaming services (Youtube, Netflix, iPlayer, RTE Player) have been blocked pretty much from the start plus a few other bulk data users like Windows updates and they have updated the banned list at least once. At least some radio streams, which are lower bandwidth, are not blocked. There are plenty of ways around it the block, but they do ask nicely on the captive portal page that passengers not do it.
Personally, on a busy Northern Commuter train I find the coverage more reliable than a mobile but lower performance - easier to stay connected longer to a company VPN for example. However there are days when the system is clearly less than 100% functional.
Mark Gleeson
19-02-2013, 14:25
Good news finally
The Google map that used to appear on the sign in page to show you where the train is has been removed. This was a suggestion put forward by RUI and was implemented within 48 hours. This change happened 3 weeks ago and as a result the sign in process is noticeably quicker.
The sign in page is to be totally replaced in coming days
1. New Irish Rail branding and website look
2. Registration/email no longer required, simple 'Accept T&C's
There are a number of coaches floating around with no wifi signal, they seem to be getting fixed one by one
seamus kilcock
22-02-2013, 14:50
Are all intercity trains now fitted with plug sockets for ALL passengers?
Jamie2k9
22-02-2013, 15:01
ICR have sockets for most passengers.
Mark Gleeson
22-02-2013, 16:14
Every seat on the intercity railcar fleet has a socket
On Dublin Cork Express trains, power sockets only in first class, or rear seats 05/06 in all standard class coaches. Dublin Belfast, first class only
All DART and Commuter trains have sockets as well normally at the carriage ends, under the seat
All have WIFI
James Howard
22-02-2013, 16:22
You cannot 100% depend on getting an ICR on routes they are supposed to be used. The commuter Railcars are used for some services to Sligo and as Mark says, there are only sockets at the end of the cars.
These don't always work and they are also positioned in such a way that you can't really access them from a seat with a table with the exception of the seats right outside the able-bodied toilets. If you just want to charge a phone, you'll be fine on any train if you sit at the end of the car but if you want to use a 15" or bigger laptop you are probably be out of luck as it isn't really possible to manage anything bigger than a 13" on seats with power on a commuter railcar.
haddockman
02-03-2013, 18:04
The problem is the wifi is virtually unusable as it is so slow and patchy. Particularly slow from Ballybrophy to LJ.
I find using my own phone is faster and more reliable.
Inniskeen
02-03-2013, 22:37
At best very slow, typically unusable.
What have peoples' impressions of this service been over the last 3 years? Personally, on the northern corridor, particularly the 29ks, I find it very slow and unreliable, particularly the log-in process. I just usually revert to the 3G on the phone (reminder to get a 4G phone asap) or give up altogether in exasperation.
The NIR log-in is typically faster, I find, the few times I get to use it, and the service a bit better, blackspots notwithstanding.
Jamie2k9
02-02-2016, 22:17
Do not really use it that often but It was been improved massively since it first started however there is still a long way to go about coverage on the network.
James Howard
03-02-2016, 06:29
I rarely use it as I find a personal hotspot on my 4G phone works a lot better. I go between Connolly and Edgeworthstown. The login process is still terrible but the speed isn't so bad on the rare occasion I do us it.
There seems to be bug in the login in that it looks like it is spending most of its time trying to figure out if you have already logged in. The page appears mostly instantly but the interface can be disabled for 30 seconds or longer. Quite painful really.
Mark Gleeson
03-02-2016, 06:39
Compared to offerings elsewhere in Europe, Irish Rail is better than average, what it lets it down is coverage. There are 500,000 sign ins/month currently.
Northern Ireland Railways can be fun with VPN's.
Apple's handling of sign in pages is non nonsensical which makes life tricky.
4G is being rolled out starting with the Cork fleet and it makes a big difference.
Just bear in mind, 100+ in a coach all sharing a single access point isn't going to work no matter how good the connection from the train to the internet is.
Jamie2k9
03-02-2016, 11:51
Investing in 4G when the Cork line is probably one of the worst lines for coverage, very poor between Portlaoise-Mallow especially until Limerick J.
I think if IE asked Cork customer's sockets are number 1 priority not wifi.
James Howard
03-02-2016, 14:07
If the networking system was put together any way sensibly, upgrading it should be just a matter of swapping out a few modems. No way should it cost more than a couple of grand per train.
Adding sockets at each seat is a far more expensive proposition unless the carriages are being pulled apart for another reason.
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