Indian rail 'to offer net access'

Rail users will get net access on the move

Indian Railways is to offer internet access to passengers from 30 June, according to the Times of India.

The service will be launched on the Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Bhopal routes, the report said.

A kiosk with two computers will be set up on luxury coaches while "hotspots" will allow passengers with wireless-equipped devices to connect to the web.

Indian Railways has extensively computerised its operations to deal with administration and ticketing.

The service is being run by RailTel, a telecoms infrastructure agency of the Ministry of Railways, which provides internet kiosks at train stations.

The service will initially be free with eventual charges expected to be similar to the fees at RailTel's station kiosks.