The final train in Virgin Trains’ fleet of 56 Pendolinos was fitted with new hardware in May, giving customers access to free WIFI and to its onboard entertainment hub, BEAM.

The new connectivity is part of a range of improvements to improve customer experience on Virgin Trains across the UK network, including a new onboard portal, vthub.uk. Anyone using WIFI on Virgin Trains will be directed to the portal’s landing page where they will able to access the updated free onboard train entertainment service BEAM, as well as access to journey planner and the food and beverage menu.

“Our enhanced WIFI means customers can stay connected and up to date as they travel or dip into the latest boxsets and movies through our entertainment service BEAM,” said John Sullivan, Chief Information Officer at Virgin Trains. “We know how important WIFI is for all our customers and we want them to have an amazing experience while travelling on our network.”

As part of the upgrade, the trains have had a complete digital overhaul with engineers installing 77,183 metres (47.96 miles) of cable into the trainsets’ 574 coaches.