Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2026 to Question 128563 on Avanti West Coast: Internet, what timetable has been set for (a) the upgrade of onboard Wi-Fi systems across Avanti West Coast services and (b) the rollout of laser window etching technology across the Class 390 fleet; what minimum performance standards for (i) speed, (b) reliability and (iii) other elements of onboard Wi-Fi operators are required to meet under the Service Quality Regime; on how many occasions Avanti West Coast has failed to meet those standards in the last 12 months; what financial penalties have been applied as a result; what the expected timetable is for the procurement and deployment of low earth orbit satellite connectivity on services on the West Coast Main Line; and whether improvements delivered through Project Reach will include the full route between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston.

The work to upgrade Avanti West Coast (AWC) Wi-Fi systems is expected to be complete by Spring 2027 but this is subject to contractual agreement with suppliers. The AWC window etching project is due to complete testing by the end of March 2027, with full fleet fitment commencing in Financial Year 2027/2028. In the Service Quality Regime (SQR), independent auditors test Wi‑Fi availability by attempting to connect to the internet using onboard Wi-Fi when inspecting a carriage. SQR does not assess against minimum standards for connection speed. The results represent a sample of the service rather than a continuous assessment of Wi-Fi performance. Onboard Wi‑Fi forms one element of a broader “Trains: Information” area, within which performance is assessed against a benchmark. Over the last 13 periods, AWC have averaged a score of 99.37% for the SQR Wi-Fi measure. AWC can earn a fee based on their overall performance across all train measures, which includes Wi-Fi. Performance payments for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years are currently being calculated and independently verified and will be published in due course. The Department secured funding as part of the Spending Review to use low earth orbit satellite connectivity to improve on train Wi-Fi for our passengers on main line trains, including across the West Coast Main Line. As part of Project Reach, we will also improve the mobile signal in tunnels along the West Coast Main Line.