According to the Minister of Railways, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Indian railways is offering free Wi-Fi facilities at 6,115 railway stations nationwide.
The free Wi-Fi service at railway stations forms part of the Government’s Digital India Programme, which aims to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.
At these stations, passengers can watch high-definition (HD) videos, download entertainment content, and carry out office work using the free Wi-Fi. To access the service, passengers must switch on the Wi-Fi mode on their smartphones, connect to the RailWire Wi-Fi network, enter their mobile number for a SMS one time password (OTP), and then begin using the internet.
Apart from major stations in Tier 1 cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai Central, Chennai Central, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, the programme also covers many Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities like Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Meerut, and Bhopal are included, as well as Tier 3 cities such as Rohtak and Cuttack.
Furthermore, the free Wi-Fi service at Indian railway stations is provided by RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RailTel). RailTel has earlier collaborated with organisations including Google and Tata Trusts to expand the project, but now manages and operates RailWire independently.
