Latest news with #railtravel
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE To passengers for the maiden voyage of a new luxury sleeper train, we're sorry to announce this service has been cancelled! Rail fans who paid up to £55,000 for three-day trip to Cornwall have journey canned
With a three-day rail trip to Cornwall costing more than a holiday to Venice on the Orient Express, you might expect Britain's newest luxury sleeper train to run on time. But to the dismay of its well-heeled passengers – who had forked out a minimum of £22,400 for a 'curated' luxury weekend tour of the West Country – the maiden voyage of the refurbished Britannic Explorer has hit the buffers. Guests had celebrated the launch of the rebranded 1970s train with a glitzy three-hour champagne-fuelled launch party headed by actress Keira Knightley at London Euston station last Thursday, with the inaugural trip originally scheduled for departure the following day. Instead, the ten-coach train, rebranded with bespoke fitted carpets, plush furnishings and commissioned artworks, was returned to a depot near Southampton for 'final refinements'. Some passengers are understood to have paid upwards of £50,000 for a three-night stay in one of the train's three 'grand suites'. Train operator Belmond, which also runs the Orient Express, says it offered passengers a full refund 'including associated travel costs', but refused to say why the Britannic Explorer's maiden journey from London's Victoria station to Penzance had been derailed. One enthusiast who spotted the train, which has a top speed of 75mph, at the Euston station launch party said: 'By anyone's standards this is a really expensive train trip in the UK. 'There's obviously been some complications. But I tell you what, if I'd paid 55 grand – which is what the most expensive cabin was for the trip – and then been told it was cancelled, I'd probably be a bit cheesed off. Guests celebrated the launch of the rebranded 1970s train with a glitzy three-hour champagne-fuelled launch party headed by actress Keira Knightley (above) at London Euston station last Thursday Some passengers are understood to have paid upwards of £50,000 for a three-night stay in one of the train's three 'grand suites' 'There was this big, noisy launch party on platform 16, screened off so regular travellers couldn't see in. By Friday morning the train had gone from Euston back to the Eastleigh works near Southampton.' Train enthusiasts spotted Britannic Explorer when it was brought up to Victoria station for a test run on June 13 and noticed there was a problem with its retro-fitted automatic doors. Belmond, which is owned by French luxury goods giant LVMH, says on its website that the Britannic Explorer will now be 'introduced' on July 21 with a journey from London to mid-Wales. A company spokeswoman said: 'The adjustment to the schedule was due to final refinements being made to ensure the train operates at the highest possible standard.
The Independent
30-06-2025
- The Independent
Royal Family have travelled by train for more than 180 years
The royal family have enjoyed rail travel since the day Queen Victoria made her first trip in a specially made carriage from Slough to London Paddington. The Great Western Railway company built the carriage in anticipation of Victoria's patronage and two years later she did, but only after being persuaded on board by Prince Albert, a veteran of rail travel fascinated by the new technology. She appeared a fan and wrote in her diary about the journey on June 13 1842: 'It took us exactly 30 minutes going to Paddington, & the motion was very slight, & much easier than the carriage, also no dust or great heat, in fact, it was delightful and so quick.' To mark the 175th anniversary of the trip, Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh recreated the journey in 2017. Victoria later commissioned a special pair of coaches built by the London & North Western Railway in 1869 and so began a succession of royal trains with her son King Edward VII, later ordering a royal train designed to be 'as much like the Royal Yacht as possible'. The royal family keep up with modern innovations and Victoria's grandson King George V installed one of the first baths on a train during the First World War as he toured the UK to boost morale. No special royal locomotive exists but the royal train is pulled by standard engines and throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries all major railway companies within the British Isles maintained dedicated royal carriages. To mark Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee in 1977 British Rail provided a new royal train that featured a Queen's saloon or carriage with a bedroom, sitting room and bathroom and a separate bedroom and bathroom for her dresser, while Philip's carriage was a similar design but included a kitchen. In the mid 1980s the fleet was updated and new carriages were added including one used by the King, then the prince of Wales, and now the train has nine carriages, seven royal and two support.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Rail disruption following damage to overhead wires between Lockerbie and Carlisle
Rail passengers have been urged not to travel north or south of Carlisle after damage to the overhead line. Pictures show a tree on the line between Lockerbie and Carlisle which has caused delays and cancellations on the line. Passengers are being urged not the travel on June 30, and all tickets will be valid on any Avanti service using the same route on July 1. A spokesperson for Avanti West Coast said: 'Due to damage to overhead wires between Lockerbie and Carlisle, we are advising customers not to travel north or south of Carlisle today, 30 June. READ MORE: Major works to begin in Court Square in the Autumn | News and Star 'If you were due to travel to or from Scotland today, your ticket dated June 30 can be used on any Avanti West Coast train, via the same route tomorrow July 1. 'If you abandoned your journey as a result of today's disruption, your ticket dated June 30 can be used on any Avanti West Coast train, via the same route tomorrow July 1.'
Associated Press
20-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
How Passengers Are Using On-Train Wi-Fi in 2025: Insights Revealed for World Wi-Fi Day
Icomera Rail passengers increasingly expect onboard Wi-Fi to mirror the always-on, content-rich experience of their home broadband. New figures from connectivity specialist Icomera - published today on World Wi-Fi Day - indicate that Google, Instagram and Facebook are absorbing the biggest share of on-train Wi-Fi bandwidth. Key Findings 1. Google 2. Instagram 3. Facebook 4. Netflix 5. Spotify 6. YouTube 7. WhatsApp 8. TikTok 9. Amazon Prime Video 10. Apple iTunes From Email to Entertainment 'When on-train Wi-Fi was first offered in the early 2000s, it primarily attracted business passengers with the promise of improving their productivity by allowing them to send work emails while they travelled' says Paul Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer at Icomera, a subsidiary of Equans, a global leader in the energy and services sector. 'Today we see a typical user consume 100 megabytes during a Wi-Fi session, which would be enough for those early 2000s business passengers to send potentially 1,000+ emails over the course of their journey – but most of that data is now being used for streaming video, music and social media. All passenger groups want the home broadband experience on the move'. This raises the question of how rail operators can keep pace with the constantly evolving digital landscape. Starlink Enters the Mix Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks are emerging as a viable solution for meeting increasing passenger expectations and evolving rail operator requirements. Icomera signed an authorised reseller agreement with SpaceX's Starlink in December 2024 and is trialling the service with operators on both sides of the Atlantic. 'We've seen impressive early results when adding satellite into the mix alongside the 4G and 5G cellular networks that trains are already connecting to' Barnes says. 'Even in remote rural areas the performance is comparable to an inner-city 5G connection. This will benefit both train passengers and operational systems such as live video surveillance or remote diagnostics.' 'With data-hungry passengers and operational systems now sharing the same digital path, reliable high-capacity connectivity is fast becoming as essential to rail travel as the tracks themselves.' ---ENDS--- Notes to Editors Methodology: Icomera's analysis covers the period from 28th May 2024 to 27th May 2025, drawing on the anonymised Wi-Fi traffic of 2.2 million daily users categorised by service types from thousands of trains in Europe and North America. Rankings are based on total data volume per service type. Passengers' personal information was not collected. World Wi-Fi Day is a platform to recognise and celebrate the significant role Wi-Fi is playing in cities and communities around the world and understand how Wi-Fi is helping to reduce digital poverty through innovative projects that will 'connect the unconnected'. World Wi-Fi Day is a unique worldwide initiative organised by Wireless Broadband Alliance under the leadership of Connected Community Forum (CCF). - PRESS CONTACT: Paul Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer, Icomera: +44 (0)7837 917611 – [email protected] About Icomera For over two decades, Icomera has been the world's leading provider of onboard connectivity solutions. We enable millions of passengers to connect every day with the fastest, most reliable and secure Internet connection currently available to a moving vehicle. Today our networks have the power to fully integrate tens of thousands of vehicles into the cloud, paving the way for a vibrant new world of smart, connected transportation. In the future, our network connectivity will empower a bold new generation of safer, more efficient and sustainable transport solutions. We aim to be the partner of choice for those on the smart, connected journey that lies ahead. A wholly owned subsidiary of Equans, Icomera is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, operating across Europe and North America with key offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the United States and Canada. About Equans and Equans France Equans, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a global leader in the energy and services sector. In France, Equans France draws on its historic brands Ineo, Axima, and Bouygues Energies & Services and its strong local presence to support businesses, local authorities, and industries in meeting the challenges of the energy, industrial, and digital transitions. With the ability to operate at every stage of projects' lifecycle, Equans France brings together 35,000 employees to design, install and supply tailor-made solutions that optimize clients' equipment and usage, enhancing infrastructure performance and energy efficiency. Its expertise spans electrical engineering, HVAC, refrigeration, fire safety, Facility Management, multi-technical maintenance, IT & Telecommunication, and digital solutions. On a global scale, Equans operates in 20 countries, with 90,000 employees across 5 continents and a turnover of 19.2 billion euros in 2024. Following a similar dynamic, its subsidiary Equans France achieved a turnover of 7.2 billion euros in 2024 and operates in nearly 30 countries. | Attachments Paul Barnes Icomera [email protected]
Globe and Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
How Passengers Are Using On-Train Wi-Fi in 2025: Insights Revealed for World Wi-Fi Day
Gothenburg, Sweden, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Google tops the on-train Wi-Fi bandwidth league table, with Instagram, Facebook, Netflix and TikTok close behind, confirming rail passengers now expect a home broadband experience while on the move. Insights are drawn from the anonymised Wi-Fi traffic of more than two million daily users travelling on thousands of trains in service across Europe and North America over the last 12 months. Rail operators are trialling low-Earth-orbit satellite technology – such as SpaceX's Starlink – to boost onboard Wi-Fi speeds and reliability for passengers and day-to-day train operations. Icomera Rail passengers increasingly expect onboard Wi-Fi to mirror the always-on, content-rich experience of their home broadband. New figures from connectivity specialist Icomera - published today on World Wi-Fi Day - indicate that Google, Instagram and Facebook are absorbing the biggest share of on-train Wi-Fi bandwidth. Key Findings Passenger use of Google is the single largest consumer of on-train Wi-Fi bandwidth. Image- and short-video platforms Instagram, Facebook and TikTok followed close behind. Long-form streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video all feature in the top 10, alongside music-streaming leaders Spotify and Apple's iTunes. WhatsApp was the most widely used messaging app; Snapchat appeared in the North American top ten but not in the European list. 1. Google 2. Instagram 3. Facebook 4. Netflix 5. Spotify 6. YouTube 7. WhatsApp 8. TikTok 9. Amazon Prime Video 10. Apple iTunes From Email to Entertainment 'When on-train Wi-Fi was first offered in the early 2000s, it primarily attracted business passengers with the promise of improving their productivity by allowing them to send work emails while they travelled' says Paul Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer at Icomera, a subsidiary of Equans, a global leader in the energy and services sector. 'Today we see a typical user consume 100 megabytes during a Wi-Fi session, which would be enough for those early 2000s business passengers to send potentially 1,000+ emails over the course of their journey – but most of that data is now being used for streaming video, music and social media. All passenger groups want the home broadband experience on the move'. This raises the question of how rail operators can keep pace with the constantly evolving digital landscape. Starlink Enters the Mix Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks are emerging as a viable solution for meeting increasing passenger expectations and evolving rail operator requirements. Icomera signed an authorised reseller agreement with SpaceX's Starlink in December 2024 and is trialling the service with operators on both sides of the Atlantic. 'We've seen impressive early results when adding satellite into the mix alongside the 4G and 5G cellular networks that trains are already connecting to' Barnes says. 'Even in remote rural areas the performance is comparable to an inner-city 5G connection. This will benefit both train passengers and operational systems such as live video surveillance or remote diagnostics.' 'With data-hungry passengers and operational systems now sharing the same digital path, reliable high-capacity connectivity is fast becoming as essential to rail travel as the tracks themselves.' ---ENDS--- Notes to Editors Methodology: Icomera's analysis covers the period from 28th May 2024 to 27th May 2025, drawing on the anonymised Wi-Fi traffic of 2.2 million daily users categorised by service types from thousands of trains in Europe and North America. Rankings are based on total data volume per service type. Passengers' personal information was not collected. World Wi-Fi Day is a platform to recognise and celebrate the significant role Wi-Fi is playing in cities and communities around the world and understand how Wi-Fi is helping to reduce digital poverty through innovative projects that will 'connect the unconnected'. World Wi-Fi Day is a unique worldwide initiative organised by Wireless Broadband Alliance under the leadership of Connected Community Forum (CCF). - About Icomera For over two decades, Icomera has been the world's leading provider of onboard connectivity solutions. We enable millions of passengers to connect every day with the fastest, most reliable and secure Internet connection currently available to a moving vehicle. Today our networks have the power to fully integrate tens of thousands of vehicles into the cloud, paving the way for a vibrant new world of smart, connected transportation. In the future, our network connectivity will empower a bold new generation of safer, more efficient and sustainable transport solutions. We aim to be the partner of choice for those on the smart, connected journey that lies ahead. A wholly owned subsidiary of Equans, Icomera is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, operating across Europe and North America with key offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the United States and Canada. About Equans and Equans France Equans, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a global leader in the energy and services sector. In France, Equans France draws on its historic brands Ineo, Axima, and Bouygues Energies & Services and its strong local presence to support businesses, local authorities, and industries in meeting the challenges of the energy, industrial, and digital transitions. With the ability to operate at every stage of projects' lifecycle, Equans France brings together 35,000 employees to design, install and supply tailor-made solutions that optimize clients' equipment and usage, enhancing infrastructure performance and energy efficiency. Its expertise spans electrical engineering, HVAC, refrigeration, fire safety, Facility Management, multi-technical maintenance, IT & Telecommunication, and digital solutions. On a global scale, Equans operates in 20 countries, with 90,000 employees across 5 continents and a turnover of 19.2 billion euros in 2024. Following a similar dynamic, its subsidiary Equans France achieved a turnover of 7.2 billion euros in 2024 and operates in nearly 30 countries. | Attachments
