Heritage steam railway to trial wi-fi service

The trial will give rural areas and passengers on the railway's route access to the internet

A heritage railway line is set to trial a wi-fi service on its steam train and railway station in a bid to improve connectivity in remote areas of Dorset.

The satellite-powered public wi-fi will give access to the internet to test if it can work reliably on the rural tourist attraction.

The government has awarded a £163,000 grant to Dorset Council to set the technology up at Swanage Railway.

The council said it would make the heritage steam railway the first in the UK to have a wi-fi connected steam train.

The technology is being installed at Purbeck Park car park, Norden train station and on board the railway's steam service from early 2025.

Gavin Johns, chairman of the Swanage Railway Company, said it was "a great opportunity to show that old and new can work together for the benefit of rural communities and our customers and staff".

The money has come from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as part of the national Rural Connectivity Accelerator programme.

Dorset Council said the project "addresses the need for reliable connectivity in areas with challenging landscapes and limited service from traditional network operators".

Swanage Railway has been running steam trains as a tourist attraction since the 1990s.