Seven-year wi-fi wait for commuters

RAIL commuters face a seven-year wait for wi-fi on trains under an investment package unveiled by Transport Minister Keith Brown.

The Scottish Government plans an overhaul of the rail network worth £5 billion over five years.

It includes cutting off-peak fares to attract more passengers to under-used services and tougher standards for punctuality, as well as support for the new Borders railway.

But wi-fi will not be available across the network until 2019. Plans for “smart ticketing” – like the Oyster card used on the London Underground – will not come in until 2024.

And Mr Brown raised fears there could be a delay in the £1 billlion programme to electrify the Edinburgh-Glasgow line by refusing to confirm it would be completed on schedule in 2016. The project is intended to cut journey times between the two cities to 35 minutes.