Author: Andy Cornish
Thalys, the high-speed rail network linking Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Cologne has launched wireless broadband Internet on board its trains.
Around 25 percent of Thalys trains will offer wireless access initially with all 26 routes equipped with Wi-fi by October. Thalys is the first operator offering Wi-fi access on cross-border high-speed trains.
Second class passengers must pay 6.50 euros an hour for a Wi-fi connection or 13 euros for the entire trip. The service will be free for first class passengers.
The system is managed by a consortium led by Nokia-Siemens Networks following three years of trials. On the first day, Internet coverage was patchy in or near big cities and in tunnels but operators say fine-tuning will eliminate blind spots.
Thalys, one of Europe's most popular high-speed train networks, transported 6.2 million passengers in 2007 between stops in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany.