Internet 'on all trains by 2016'

ALL SNCF trains will have internet access by the end of 2016, the train operator has announced.

SNCF revealed it will spend €450million over the next three years to ensure that its 9.6million daily customers can access the internet from their phones or tablets, no matter where they are on the rail network.

The first stage of the operation - to identify where 3G and 4G mobile internet coverage needs to be improved - will begin next month, SNCF said. All of France’s mobile operators and the Regulatory Authority for the Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP) will be involved in the process, so any additional antennas can be built as needed.

Meanwhile, a tender process has been launched to equip the high-speed TGV service with wifi internet access, with a decision set to be made in June.

SNCF has launched a new app, which is available via the SNCF website, that unifies all previous traveller information apps in one place, and allows users to map out their itinerary from more than 5,300 stations and stops in France, plus nearly 200 more throughout Europe.

Photo: Jeff Kayzer