The HotSpot service will provide train passengers with fast and reliable access to the internet, email and other applications, whether for work or leisure purposes. First Class passengers will get complimentary access to the service, while other passengers can purchase HotSpot passes online from their Wi-Fi enabled device. T-Mobile Mobile Broadband pay monthly customers have unlimited HotSpot access including in their plans, so will be able to access the new service at no extra cost. The service will initially be rolled out on Virgin’s 52 Pendolino trains, and by mid Summer, the 21 Super Voyager trains will also be Wi-Fi enabled. Virgin’s West Coast Main Line services see around 22.5 million passenger journeys per annum.

T-Mobile and Nomad Digital have been at the forefront of the provision of access to internet on trains and partnered for the world’s first ever broadband Wi-Fi service on trains on the London to Brighton Southern route. The two companies also partnered to provide onboard Wi-Fi access to passengers on all Heathrow Express trains. T-Mobile provides Wi-Fi HotSpot access across the UK in places where you need it most, - including the places regular cellular network technology finds harder to reach.  In January 2009 T-Mobile’s Mobile Broadband service came top in the independent YouGov survey of 1,958 mobile broadband users. The results ranked T-Mobile first in nine out of 13 categories including upload and download speeds, customer service, easy start up and use, and value for money.

Commenting on the news, Richard Warmsley, Head of Internet and Entertainment for T-Mobile UK said:“As the popularity of mobile broadband continues to soar, we want to do everything we can to offer people access to the internet wherever they are. This provides a unique solution on-board Virgin Trains , at no extra cost to our pay monthly Mobile Broadband customers, and available to everyone, whatever mobile phone network they use. From business users checking emails or sending documents on the way to and from work, to people checking their Facebook, or downloading songs for the trip, this new mobile broadband service offers all passengers the opportunity to make the most of their journeys.” 


Graham Leech, Executive Director Commercial for Virgin Trains added: “We’re always looking at ways to improve the travel experience for our passengers so we’re pleased to be able to answer their requests for access to the internet on our trains. We hope this latest improvement to our services will make travelling all the more enjoyable and productive for all our passengers. T-Mobile and Nomad have a great track record for delivering these types of projects and we’re confident our customers will receive the fast, reliable internet access they require.” 


Graeme Lowdon, Nomad Digital chief executive said: “Nomad Digital was the first into the rail broadband market and we have continued to lead the field. Our system has been proved in different countries and on different networks, from the USA to the Middle East. We have worked with T-Mobile before in installing the first ever rail broadband system on the Brighton Express and Heathrow Express routes and we are delighted to be partnering them again. 

“This new installation on one of the UK’s main rail arteries is significant. Enabling high-speed data connectivity to trains provides numerous opportunities to deliver innovative services for passengers and we are delighted to be working on this project together with such forward thinking and customer focussed companies as T-Mobile and Virgin Trains. ’’

T-Mobile Press Line                                                                  +44 (0) 7017 150 150
Brands2Life                                                                             +44 (0) 207 592 1200 
Virgin Trains                                                                            +44 (0) 845 000 3333 
Nomad                                                                                    + 44 (0)77300 13633  


About T-Mobile UK 
T-Mobile is one of the world’s largest mobile operators with more than 125 million customers worldwide and is the service provider of choice for 16.7 million customers in the UK, making it one of the largest networks. T-Mobile offers a range of innovative products and services, such as Solo, the SIM-only plan offering market-leading minutes and added value of unlimited texts on topfrom £15 per month on a 30-day rolling contract; Combi, a traditional minutes and text package, and Flext, a truly flexible tariff that now includes selected 08 numbers and 50 of the most popular international calling destinations in the allowance customers can chose to spend between calls, texts and MMS. High-speed internet access on the move is available through the award-winningMobile Broadband service. T-Mobile continues to innovate with new devices such as the UK’s first Android™-based smart phone, the T-Mobile G1. More than 1,000 applications are available through Android Market™, giving customers unrivalled scope for customising their phones to their lifestyles. 2G network coverage is among the best in the UK at over 99 per cent of the UK population. T-Mobile operates an advanced 3G HSDPA-enabled network capable of supporting effective mobile broadband speeds of up 4.5Mbps and was the first UK operator to provide a nationwide HSUPA capability for faster uploads. As a pioneer of deep network sharing in the UK, T-Mobile plans to deliver close to complete population coverage for 3G services in 2010.

About Virgin Trains 
Virgin Trains operates the West Coast rail franchise. This was originally awarded to Virgin Rail Group (VRG) on 19 February 1997 for a 15-year term. Operations began on 9 March 1997.

Formal terms were agreed with the Department for Transport (DfT) for a restated contract and the franchise deal will run until March 2012.

Virgin Trains introduced a new timetable from 14 December 2008, offering more trains and faster journey times. Train services overall increased by 30 percent following Network Rail’s £9bn upgrade of the West Coast Main Line. The routes from Manchester and Birmingham to London Euston saw train frequencies increased to every 20 minutes, comparable with many local commuter routes, and average journey times in the case of Manchester slashed to as little as 2 hours 05 minutes.   Further improvements from 16 February 2009 included an hourly service between Chester and London. The 16:30 London Euston to Glasgow Central service is now timetabled to complete the 401-mile journey in just 4 hours 10 minutes, the fastest journey time ever regularly run by Virgin Trains between the two cities.   

About Nomad 
Nomad leads the global market in the provision of specialist mobility networks. It installed the first ever rail broadband system on the UK’s Brighton Express in 2005. It is also building a key Metro network in the Middle East, and has secured several other key contracts to provide mobile internet access services with, among others: UTA in Salt Lake City, Norwegian Railways and the Heathrow Express in the UK. Nomad’s system is unique in that it provides continuous high-speed broadband coverage, even through tunnels and on underground sections of track.