WiFi expansion on Deutsche Bahn trains delayed

It was expected that, by the end of 2021, all of Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity trains would offer WiFi connections. However, the long-distance train operator has announced that this will now not be possible.

The wait for onboard wireless continues

Two years ago, Deutsche Bahn started testing onboard WiFi connection on its Intercity trains and announced that, by the end of 2021, all of its Intercity (IC) trains would offer a wireless internet connection. The double-decker Intercity 2 (IC2) trains should have been fully fitted with WiFi by the end of last year.

However, it has now been announced that Deutsche Bahn’s wireless expansion on its trains has been delayed. "All Intercity wagons used for the Intercity and Eurocity trains will not be equipped with WiFi until 2022," said the federal government's Rail Commissioner Enak Ferlemann (CDU), in response to a request from the FDP. According to Ferlemann, around 60 percent of Deutsche Bahn’s IC carriages have been upgraded so far.

Deutsche Bahn cited coronavirus as the reason for the delay, with employees who are working on the expansion only having limited access to their workshops. “That is why we deliberately pushed the equipment of the IC trains back a little to protect against infection so that we can keep the risk of infection in the workshops as small and low as possible,” said Deutsche Bahn’s Chief Executive for passenger services, Berthold Huber.