Internet on trains

[102 fan]

Call me cynical, but do the rail operating companies block the mobile data signal to mobiles so that the user has to use the companies Wi-Fi, or is the signal bad at speed?

 

[user15681]

No, they do not block the signal.

I believe part of the issue is that at speed your phone will constantly switch between where it's getting the signal from (non-technical wording). One of the other problems is that some units have a metallic coating on the window that’s designed to shield inside from bright/warm sunlight. The metallic coating greatly reduces signal through the windows, although this is being dealt with by some TOCs.

 

[starrymarkb]

The signal is bad at speed. Also the Mobile companies prioritised the motorway network for coverage (remember that early mobiles were built into to cars as they were too big and heavy for bags/pockets). There are also far more and deeper cuttings and tunnels on the rail network.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Should also add as a non UK example that ICEs in Germany have the Metallic coatings on their windows. The trains are fitted with repeaters to spread mobile signal through the coaches, but there are no repeaters in the Quiet coaches, which was one way of enforcing it

I believe in the UK the TOCs wanted the mobile companies to pay for repeaters to be fitted. Orange did pay for repeaters to be fitted to some Crosscountry Voyagers but with Virgin losing XC the rollout wasn't finished. I don't know if the contract was renewed by AXC. I should add that the repeaters only worked for Orange phones, other networks (including Virgin Mobile) still had to suffer the bad signal!

 

[1e10]

Speed doesn't always affect the signal, many users are able to get a decent 3G stream at speed providing their network has coverage for it.

 

[Clip]

Speed doesn't always affect the signal, many users are able to get a decent 3G stream at speed providing their network has coverage for it.

Theyre talking about the speed of the train not the signal it receives, as they move between cells very fast and in and out of reception due to cuttings/tunnels and such like - not the actual signal speed.


Sometimes this is a blessing when work cant contact you

 

[102 fan]

I've misjudged the TOC's!

 

[mrmartin]

Yeah. The difference between coverage on a Class 185 TPE service on the WCML vs a Pendilino is absolutely crazy. On TPE even in the middle of nowhere going at 100mph rock solid 3G. On a pendilono I often only get signal when physically stopped in the station.

As far as I know Virgin did/do have repeaters for some of the frequencies, but not 2100MHz which is what 3G runs on.

 

[Emyr]

2100 is not the only frequency used for 3G. Do you mean "Three" the network?

 

[edwin_m]

I seem to recall that Chiltern tried to enforce quiet coaches by coating the windows with something that was supposed to block the signal. All that happened was that the mobiles wound themselves up to full brain-frying power* and there were lots of people saying things like "Hello... Hello, I'm on the... Hello".

*this may explain why so many phone users either can't read or can't understand the "quiet coach" labels.

 

[mrmartin]

2100 is not the only frequency used for 3G. Do you mean "Three" the network?

It was until quite recently. And only o2 and vodafone use UMTS on 900.

 

[TSR :D]

In addition to what other posters are saying about the shielding blocking mobile signals in trains such as LM 350s, Pendolinos and Voyagers, you usually can test this using GPS in your mobile along with an app telling you how many satellites it has locked onto. If mobile GPS can't lock onto signal, it usually means there is a shielding and mobile signal should be worse as well unless they put in some repeaters.

 

[1e10]

Theyre talking about the speed of the train not the signal it receives, as they move between cells very fast and in and out of reception due to cuttings/tunnels and such like - not the actual signal speed.


Sometimes this is a blessing when work cant contact you

I'm talking about the speed of the train. In the country cells can cover miles up to 10 miles of area easily and it takes seconds to switch cell. Obviously tunnels will affect it but many users report being able to get a solid 3G connection on a train at speed providing there is signal.

 

[richardio123]

You can get 4G at 75mph between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, and that's on 323's,156's,350's,185's 150's and 142's cuts out at Heald Green though.

 

[Nick Harling]

Not had too much experience, but on Pendolinos between Preston and Carlisle today had solid 3G all the way there and back, no dropout whatsoever (I was checking the run timings on realtimetrains).

 

[fowler9]

I had no trouble getting a signal on TPE last weekend apart from in tunnels etc. I was a bit gutted that the free wi fi in first class a friend told me you got didn't exist. Didn't spoil my trip though.

 

[RobShipway]

For any mobile phone signal whether travelling at speed in a car or a train, the issue is where the next communication for the mobile phone company that you are with is based and your proximity to it.

For example, I am with Vodafone which has a pretty good coverage around the country accept in North Wales!! When I am in North Wales I can get a signal no problem in places like Prestatyn and Rhyl, but go to somewhere like the village of Dyserth as you go along the road out of the Village which is up a hill and you get no signal. This is because the signal towers are based more towards the larger town areas.

The same situation as above I have found on the trains when I travelled on them, where if the train is near a large town or city the signal is fine, but go out to a more country place miles from anywhere and no signal is received. For example on the more country areas of the Waterloo - Reading route you will find no signal on your mobile phones especially the areas before Sunningdale, but from Sunningdale onwards signal is received.