June 18th 2025, 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
According to a new first edition report by Valour Consultancy, ‘The Future of Connectivity in Rail – 2025’, the number of trains offering passenger Wi-Fi services onboard will rise to 37,000 by 2034, up from an estimated 12,000 today.
Renowned as a challenging platform for connectivity because of tunnels and rolling terrain, the rail industry is set to benefit from the introduction of services from low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as Starlink and OneWeb, which will add redundancy to cellular networks.
In April 2025, Miami-based rail operator Brightline combined Starlink‘s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity with McLaren Applied’s 5G Edge Active Antenna to deliver seamless onboard passenger Wi-Fi along its Miami to Orlando route, which is subject to inconsistent cellular coverage. A month later, ScotRail kicked started a 6-month trial as part of an initiative to bridge the digital divide in the Scottish highlands. In collaboration with Clarus Networks, an authorised reseller of Starlink and the Scottish Futures Trust, six Class 158 trains have been equipped with satellites to enhance connectivity on rural routes. As early adopters begin to demonstrate the viability of satellite solutions for Passenger Wi-Fi, it is only a matter of time before other rail operators start to follow suit.
As highlighted by Arabella Kearney, a co-author of the report:
“We set out to understand the evolving competitive landscape and the disruptive impact of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite solutions. Having already transformed connectivity in the aviation and maritime sectors, satellite is now providing rail operators with an alternative to traditional onboard networks. Whilst providing data rates of approximately 200 Mbps in rural areas subject to terrain challenges, without the need for physical infrastructure.”
However, the report highlights there is no silver bullet in the context of rail connectivity. For all its benefits, satellite connectivity is not ideal on routes with obstacles that restrict the line of sight between the train and the sky, for example tunnels, high-rise buildings and hills.
“In these scenarios, gigabit-capable trackside networks come into their own and although they are typically expensive to deploy, we see the business case improving thanks to the development of wireless infrastructure, reducing cost and complexity associated with current fiber-based systems.”
When it comes to building the case for passenger Wi-Fi, rail operators have seemingly given up on justifying the cost through direct revenue streams and are instead piggy-backing on the trend toward digitalisation of security and safety-based applications. A prime example is surveillance, an application now mandated in a number of influential regions, such as the United States, Japan and Australia.
Although passenger Wi-Fi tends to get all the headlines, we have noticed that there is continued interest in pairing connectivity with surveillance; an application which today is typically built around store and forward sharing.
“Armed with AI and good quality connectivity, we should see surveillance become real-time in the next decade, with the benefits being proactively flagging incidents and reducing response times. Real-time surveillance can also assist in predictive maintenance on and off the train, with real-world case studies already established for foliage management and monitoring of key components such as the pantograph.”
There are significant economic, ethical and corporate implications tied to a high standard of railway safety and security for operators. Associated business cases are typically easier to get funding for. Therefore, the investment can be justified and in some cases qualify for government funding. With the network infrastructure onboard, passenger Wi-Fi can easily be installed at a low additional cost. This methodology is also viable for rail operators looking to justify the CAPEX of trackside networks”, Arabella added.
It is an exciting time for the rail industry, with satellite connectivity acting as a key disruptor in a space traditionally dominated by cellular systems. As early deployments demonstrate the viability of hybrid approaches, rail operators are increasingly empowered to deliver resilient, high-bandwidth solutions. With surveillance helping to justify infrastructure investment, the business case for passenger Wi-Fi can finally gain traction.
Valour Consultancy is a multi-award-winning provider of high-quality market intelligence and consultancy services. It’s latest study, “‘The Future of Connectivity in Rail – 2025’”, was developed with input from a wide-range of industry stakeholders including satellite providers, service providers and rail operators. Presented in Valour Consultancy’s new snapshot format, this report delivers concise application and technical overviews of cellular, trackside and satellite, examines the key drivers and inhibitors to adoption, and includes market forecasts, analysis, and selected company profiles. The deliverable consists of 86 PowerPoint slides and 111 data tables on Excel. This report is aimed at stakeholders with an interest in the future of connectivity in rail, with focus on both passenger WiFi and real time surveillance.
