Transport group Stagecoach is targeting motorists with the offer of free email and web access on its cross-Forth express coach services through the introduction of Wi-Fi technology. A total of 38 state-of-the-art vehicles in Stagecoach’s express coach fleet operating between Fife and Edinburgh are being equipped with Wi-Fi technology supplied by Moovera Networks. More than 40,000 passengers a week using the X54, X58, X59, X60, 53 and 55 services will benefit from the £36,000 investment in the new technology, which will be operation from 17 March. 

Business travellers in particular will benefit from Wi-Fi access and be able to use laptops, Blackberries, PDAs or mobile phones to access the internet while commuting.

Stagecoach runs 32 services an hour across the Forth Road Bridge, one of the most congested commuter routes in Scotland. 

Last year, the company invested £4.5million in a fleet of 29 new express coaches on the Fife-Edinburgh route, featuring air conditioning, leather seats and some of the greenest engines in Europe. 

Passenger numbers on Stagecoach’s cross-Forth express coach network have grown by more than 6% in the past 12 months. 

Doug Fleming, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland, said:

“Thousands of people use our express coach network to commute between Fife and Edinburgh every day, and being able to work online or check emails during the journey will be a major advantage for them. We have made a huge investment in our cross-Forth express coach services in the past year, providing more comfortable and greener coaches to make commuting by coach easier and a more enjoyable experience. The response from passengers has been extremely positive and we are seeing more and more people ditch the car for the coach.” 

Stagecoach’s trial of the Wi-Fi technology will also include the deployment of Moovera’s mTracker vehicle tracking system. It will give Stagecoach a real-time at-a-glance view of its fleet and precise locations of individual vehicles on the road via the web.

Jim Baker, CEO of Moovera Networks, said:

"Once again Stagecoach is leading the field in the adoption of in-vehicle broadband connectivity. Leveraging our mobile gateway technology, each Stagecoach Fife coach is now equipped with a high-speed vehicle area network (VAN) for Wi-Fi services, CCTV and real time GPS-based vehicle location ­ a multimedia system that will enhance the passenger experience while improving the security and efficiency of the service." All of Stagecoach’s services between Fife and Edinburgh travel through the Ferrytoll park and ride facility near Inverkeithing. 

More than 2,200 express services a week operate in and out of the Ferrytoll facility, which has seen a year on year increase in passenger numbers of nearly 48%.

Stagecoach operates up to 12 journeys per hour from Ferrytoll to Edinburgh city centre - plus links to Edinburgh Airport, Gyle, Edinburgh Park, Riccarton, Granton and Leith – offering a convenient alternative to the car.