Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department is providing to enhance internet connectivity in the West of England for passengers on railways.

The Department expects operators to make operational decisions regarding onboard Wi-Fi within current annual budgets. While there is no specific funding set aside for improved Wi-Fi in the West of England, Peninsula Transport is working with Great Western Railway to conduct a trial on a Class 802 Hitachi unit to improve Wi-Fi provision.

The trial is anticipated to take place in the Autumn and will include the entirety of the route from London Paddington to Penzance.