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East Coast Mainline have scrapped free Wi-Fi. Passengers from King's Cross to Edinburgh will now be charged £4.95 for 60 minutes or £9.95 for 24 hours, although first-class passengers can continue accessing the service free of charge. According to the now publicly owned train operator, Wi-Fi use has quadrupled in recent years and charges are needed to invest £600,000 to improve download speeds and a more reliable internet connection that can be maintained in tunnels. However, commuter watchdogs have accused East Coast of "abandoning" previous operator National Express’s commitment to free Wi-Fi. Guy Dangerfield, rail watchdog Passenger Focus manager, said: "It’s disappointing that East Coast is abandoning National Express’s commitment to make Wi-Fi on the east coast route free throughout the journey and for all passengers. If passengers are going to be paying for it in future, East Coast will have to work hard to ensure the Wi-Fi system is more reliable than it’s historically been.” A spokesperson for the train operator said: "East Coast has responded to customer needs and invested £600,000 in its Wi-Fi service which will deliver better upload and download speeds and ensure a more reliable internet connection. The service is free to first-class passengers while the charge being introduced for Standard Class is in line with other Wi-Fi providers although the first 15 minutes is free."
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