A heritage railway line is to trial WiFi on its steam-hauled services and at stations.
The government has awarded a £163,000 grant to Dorset Council to established the technology on the Swanage Railway.
The council said it would be the first heritage steam railway in the UK to offer WiFi connection.
The satellite-linked public WiFi is being installed at Purbeck Park car park, Norden station and on board trains from early 2025.
Gavin Johns, chairman of the Swanage Railway Company, said it was “a great opportunity to show that old and new can work together for the benefit of rural communities and our customers and staff”.
The money has come from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as part of its rural connectivity programme.
Dorset Council called the project “groundbreaking” and said it “addresses the need for reliable connectivity in areas with challenging landscapes and limited service from traditional network operators”.
The WiFi is being provided by Excelerate Technology.
It is not clear how much demand for the service there will be from tourists, but it will enable the railway to offer cashless systems and card payment on board its trains.
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