FOI request detail

Trials for public wifi accross the London TFL bus network

Request ID: FOI-2820-1819
Date published: 20 February 2019

You asked

Have any trials been carried out ( or anything planned from now and onwards) on the possibility of putting public wifi accross the London TFL bus network (inside the bus) and inside a moving underground tube/overground and DLR ?

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-2820-1819

Thank you for your email of 24th January 2019 asking for information about any trials or plans for the installation of public WiFi on moving vehicles (on buses, the Underground, Overground and Docklands Light Railway).

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require, which is as follows:

WiFi has been trialled on buses in the past (in 2014 and 2015). However, given the costs involved and relatively low usage (perhaps due to the wide availability of 3G and 4G services) the benefits to passengers and the value for money is questionable. There are therefore no current plans to roll-out WiFi across the buses fleet. On the London Overground, all new trains delivered in 2019 will include WiFi provision. However, there are no current plans to install WiFi on moving Underground or DLR vehicles.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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