Swedish Trains to Join LEO Link-Ups

Swedish train operator SJ has selected Icomera to deliver a fleet-wide rollout of satellite connectivity across its SJ 3000 fleet. The move follows a series of successful trials last year. According to Icomera, the tests demonstrated the ability of hybrid satellite and cellular connectivity to improve performance as the trains entered traditional coverage black spots.

The investment marks the next phase of SJ’s programme to deliver a faster and more reliable on-board connectivity experience for passengers in Sweden and those on cross-border services.

The SJ 3000 fleet currently operates services linking Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Sundsvall and Oslo – some of Scandinavia’s rail corridors. As Icomera points out “Reliable on-board connectivity is increasingly important for passengers working, communicating or accessing entertainment throughout their journey.”

A total of 20 SJ 3000 trainsets will be equipped as part of the programme. Installation is expected to begin during the second half of this year, with passengers benefiting from the enhanced connectivity across the fleet from early 2027.

By combining satellite and cellular connectivity to offer on-board WiFi, passengers will have no need to manually switch between technologies or worry about which connection they’re using; the on-board platform intelligently selects and combines the available networks to provide the best possible experience.

The Icomera solution has been designed specifically for operation on electrified railways and demonstrates how proven hybrid connectivity solutions are now moving from trial projects into large-scale operational deployment.

Icomera says the programme is one of the world’s first fleet-wide rollouts of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity on passenger trains operating on electrified railways. It also complements SJ’s broader work with mobile network operators to improve coverage along key rail corridors, helping provide a more consistent and reliable connectivity experience for passengers across its network.

Torsten John, Senior Vice President of Icomera’s activities in EMEA, said: “Reliable onboard connectivity is increasingly important for passengers working, communicating or accessing entertainment throughout their journey, while also supporting a growing range of operational and customer-facing digital services.

He continued, “SJ has shown a willingness to lead from the front when it comes to improving the onboard passenger experience. By combining satellite and cellular technologies, they are helping demonstrate what the next generation of connected rail travel can look like”.

The spread of on-board WiFi services, trackside wireless delivery and the increasing use of LEO satellites to boost connectivity will all be fully discussed at this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference, hosted by BWCS in London (www.Traincomms.com ).

The Main Sponsors for Traincomms 2026 are Icomera, Huber+Suhner and Nomad Digital. Westermo, Hughes Europe, CGI, Unwired and Eutelsat are also Sponsoring the Conference. Antonics is an Expo Sponsor.

Tickets to attend the Conference are available now via http://traincomms.com/book1.cfm

For more information on attending this year’s Conference please contact [email protected]