Osegi
Business·2 min read

PKP Intercity Satellite Internet Tests Impress Pendolino Riders

Passengers who tried satellite internet on PKP Intercity's Pendolino trains rated it highly, but a full rollout is unlikely before 2031.

A Pendolino high-speed train of PKP Intercity travelling along a track in Poland.
Image: Spider's Web
SUMODialoediviewergiftdetect

PKP Intercity began testing satellite internet on Pendolino trains carrying passengers at the end of October, and the first feedback is clearly positive. The operator shared the results of its passenger survey with the PAP news agency.

According to the company, 85 percent of participants would like to use the service again. For 75 percent, logging in and connecting to the network caused no difficulty. Most notably, 61 percent judged satellite internet better than the previous onboard WiFi, and 67 percent said the connection would let them use a Pendolino journey for work.

The 61 percent figure also shows that the change is not a revolution for everyone. Some riders may have expected a bigger leap, though a majority still sees a clear improvement.

A long history of connectivity problems

Onboard internet has been a sore point for years. The Pendolino entered service in 2014 without WiFi, because nobody had foreseen the need when the trains were tendered in 2008. The installation contract was signed only in August 2018, and the whole Pendolino fleet was equipped in November 2019.

Conventional PKP Intercity coaches have had their own problems. Today 70 percent of carriages offer WiFi, along with all EZT electric multiple units, yet passengers complain about quality on many routes. Blame has been traded between a lack of masts along the tracks and coaches acting like Faraday cages, which requires signal boosters.

Satellite internet is meant to fill the gaps where mobile operators' coverage falls short.

Rollout will take years

The infrastructure minister had earlier not ruled out a full launch in 2027, but that now looks more than optimistic. If further tests also go well, PKP Intercity plans to install satellite receivers in every Pendolino during major overhauls. Those are scheduled for 2028-2029, and the work on all 20 units is due to finish in the second quarter of 2031, according to earlier reports.

Single trains will probably get the service sooner. The operator also wants satellite internet in its high-speed trains, which are expected to enter service after 2030.

Apps worth a look

SUMO: the number puzzle

Tap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.

Tags:pkp intercitysatellite internetpendolinowifipolandrail

More from this day

See all →

More in: Business

See all →