The Lack Of Phone Charging On East Midlands Railways
I arrived at Lincoln station yesterday, after my trip from London, with a full battery on my phone, as LNER trains have charging points. But by the time I left Cleethorpes station to come home, my phone was dead, as I suspect the latest version of a news app, I use is a battery drainer.
There were also no charging points on TransPennine’s Class 185 trains or East Midlands Railways Class 170 trains.
Only, when I boarded a British Rail-era Class 158 train to get to Peterborough, was I able to recharge my phone.
There is surely a need for phone chargers on every train.
The Anonymous Widower 
Seeing as the DfT are looking at removing WiFi doubt you will see it retrofitted on old trains unless they have been allowed a major refurbishment only on new trains. I complained to my local MP 4 years ago that over half the class 700 fleet lacked sockets and wifi. He did get me a response from Rail Minister of the day saying it was too difficult to retrofit given intensive use of the trains. Well since covid timetable reductions there are at least six less diagrams out of three bridges alone but now there is no money to retrofit!
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | June 29, 2023 |
I’m not bothered about wi-fi, but I like the Greater Anglia solution they used on the Mark 3 coaches. They just put a mobile signal booster in the carriages. I think the Stadlers are the same and TfL were promising it on the Lizzie Line.
Years ago, I used a similar system in an office to get a good mobile signal and it cost a couple of hundred pounds.
I find it interesting to note, that more BR-era Mark 3-based stock has power sockets, that Siemens new Class 185 and 700 trains. Does SWR’s Siemens trains have sockets?
Speaking to my son-in-law, who is South Korean, they have wi-fi hot-spots in bus stops for safety reasons. Perhaps bus stops, use have USB charge points.
Comment by AnonW | June 29, 2023 |
Its quite a task to run the cabling for power or USB sockets so best done when a train is in for a major refurb as they will have all the seats out and panels off. All the MkIII fleet were given upgrades when they retrofitted power doors and put in new interiors. Of coure won’t mention that GWR are now scrapping theres after only a few years of use so that was a good investment.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | June 29, 2023
As it’s becoming more common for tickets and railcards to be held electronically on a phone I think this is a good reason to ensure there are charging points on all trains where possible. I would add waiting rooms at stations to that too.
Comment by Matthew Goode | June 29, 2023 |
I don’t think Greater Anglia’s Mark 3’s ever had power doors! But they were in superb condition.
Comment by AnonW | June 29, 2023 |