OREANDA-NEWS. September 28, 2012. MegaFon and Grand Service Express have signed an agreement on Wi-Fi access to the Internet for passengers in Grand Express trains.

Grand Express trains are in regular service at the most popular destination Moscow — Saint Petersburg — Moscow with over 13,000 passengers monthly. The carriages have special design and provide luxury service and comfort for customers. For example, there is a TV set in each compartment offering films and broadcasted channels. Now all passengers of these high-comfort night trains will be able to enjoy free Internet service via WiFi.

The project is implemented on the basis of MegaFon’s 3G network. Carpet coverage along the railroad Saint Petersburg — Moscow is provided by 250 base stations of MegaFon.

“Now, when we have provided uninterrupted high-quality communications along the strategically important destination, all railroad passengers have new opportunities of being online even inside a high speed train. We are happy that Grand Express has selected us for delivery of this innovative service. It is an outstanding example of effective cross-industry cooperation for the benefit of customers, and we expect it to be only the beginning of wide-scale campaign for providing high-speed Internet in the Russian trains”, says Anton Pirogov, project manager of MegaFon’s cross-industry department.

MegaFon is developing Internet-access services along other railroad destinations as well. At the end of last year, MegaFon signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Russian Railroads whereby two companies have agreed on joint development of 3G voice service and wireless Internet for passengers along the entire railroad network, as well as about Wi-Fi Internet for Sapsan trains. This agreement has facilitated significant improvement of comfort for many travelers who demand high-quality communications during their trips. In September 2012, high-speed Internet appeared aboard long-distance passenger trains. Wi-Fi access was launched for testing in the following trains: 167/168 Nevsky Express in service between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, 153/154 Burevestnik in service between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, 31/32 Leo Tolstoy in service between Moscow and Helsinki and 59/60 Volga in service between Saint Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod.