Czech Railways: On-board WiFi in 2,000 vehicles
Over 2,000 Czech Railways vehicles will be covered by the on-board WiFi network
TT ++ TT
Technika a trh 5/2023
Thousands of regional trains and hundreds of ČD long-distance
connections currently offer internet access via the on-board Wi-Fi
network. More than 300 vehicles will be added this year, making
a total of 2000+ carriages with Wi-Fi. All long-distance vehicles
and a large number of regional trains are equipped with routers
fitted with SIMs from two operators for the best possible Wi-Fi
availability.
"Wi-Fi internet connection is one of the most frequently reques-
ted services by both the transport clients and our passengers. Top
quality connectivity and the opportunity to read your emails, for
example, while travelling, is a big advantage of trains over cars.
That is why we are paying great attention to the introduction of
high-quality Wi-Fi networks to our railway sets. The Wi-Fi covera-
ge of more than 2,000 ČD rail vehicles this year represents a sig-
nificant milestone in the provision of this service," says Michal
Krapinec, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ČD.
ČD now has 766 long-distance carriages covered, ranging from
Pendolino, Railjet and InterJet express units to regular fast train
carriages. This year, Wi-Fi routers are being installed in another
50 Class 2 and combined Class 1 and 2 carriages. The next time-
table will include the latest ComfortJet express non-traction units
newly put into operation. They will gradually enhance the fleet of
Wi-Fi equipped long-distance vehicles by another 180 vehicles.
"We also strive to incorporate Wi-Fi in regional transport sys-
tem. Currently, almost 1,000 carriages of regional trains are co-
vered by the Wi-Fi on-board network, ranging from multi-coach
units such as CityElefants, RegioPanters and RegioSharks to indi-
vidual passenger and motor coaches. This year, the number of
these coaches will increase by nearly 300. These include brand
new RegioPanter and RegioFox units, as well as older vehicles
such as RS1 or RegioNova, which will have Wi-Fi installed this ye-
ar. Passengers of regional passenger trains in the Olomouc Regi-
on, Vysočina and other regions, for example, can look forward to
a significant expansion of the service," emphasises Jiří Ješeta,
member of the Board of Directors and Deputy Director General
of ČD for Passenger Transport.
ČD is also preparing for the introduction of new standards in wi-
reless communication on the new ComfortJet trains. For the first
time, they will be equipped with Wi-Fi routers using 5G techno-
logy, which will ensure faster and more stable internet connecti-
on even when passing through tunnels or places with poorer qua-
lity of public wireless network coverage. Before installation in
ComfortJet units, the entire technology is now being tested in
one of the 471 CityElefant electric units in the Prague conurbati-
on.
As of the last December timetable, ČD had already introduced
the on-board Wi-Fi network on 3,190 connections, including
512 long-distance connections and more than 2,500 regional
connections. Thanks to the continuous expansion of Wi-Fi tech-
nology in other trainsets, the number of Wi-Fi connections conti-
nues to increase throughout the year.
www.mdcr.cz
This year, over 2,000 vehicles operated by ČD
will be covered by the ČD on-board WiFi network
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The new engine units from PESA Bydgoszcz, which are currently
being tested by the manufacturer on the test track in Velim, will
be referred to as RegioFox. The first foxes will run in the Central
Bohemia Region and Prague, in the South Bohemia and Pardubi-
ce Regions and in the Vysočina Region. Czech Railways has alre-
ady ordered 76 RegioFoxes. The trains will be powered by Rolls-
Royce engines that can run on HVO biofuel in addition to
conventional diesel.
Spacious interior with 115 seats (including 9 seats in first class),
wheelchair access, heating, air conditioning, sockets or USB con-
nectors for charging small electronics, Wi-Fi, vacuum toilet with
changing counter, interior and exterior LED lighting, modern au-
diovisual information system with LCD monitors, camera system,
GSM-R communication system and European ETCS. The new mo-
tor trains for regional transport, which today received the trade
name RegioFox, boast all these features.
"The fox is a cunning and clever animal and I am delighted that
RegioFox will offer passengers many clever solutions and maxi-
mum comfort. Our passengers chose the new name in a social
media survey. Seventy-six of these motor units have already been
ordered. The fact that the vehicles are equipped with the latest
Czech Railways' RegioFox "animal family" will grow to include
foxes powered by Rolls-Royce engines
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rail transport
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