It was not Norrtåg that took the first step to try Starlink on the trains. That was done by broadband coordinator Peter Adolfsson in Region Jämtland-Härjedalen, where the service was to be tested on ambulances. The question was asked whether Norrtåg would not also be involved. The answer was obvious.
- We were one of the first train companies in the world to start with this and there were a lot of childhood illnesses at the beginning. But when we got to it, we realized that this works really well, says Linus Sadlacek Åkerlind, technical manager at Norrtåg.
Now the company has taken the big decision.
The entire train fleet is to be equipped with Starlink. Installation is quick. A satellite dish is installed and connected to the internet hub on the roof.
However, Norrtåg must also upgrade the entire internet infrastructure in the fleet. An even bigger job.
Today, Norrtåg's passengers receive Wi-Fi from a hub on the roof that has access to both Telia's and Telenor's 5G networks, which are then spread through access ports in various places on the train.
- When we have this much capacity up here, it becomes a bottleneck inside the vehicle instead, says Linus Sadlacek Åkerlind and points to the Starlink dish and the double 5G hub:
- Then we change the entire internet backbone as it is called, i.e. the cabling in the vehicles, the access points, the rub. Then there are no bottlenecks left in this system.
Sometime in the first half of 2027, the upgrades are expected to be completed.
Norrtåg is not alone in looking to Starlink to solve the perennial problem of shaky connectivity for train travellers. SJ announced at the end of 2025 that they will install Starlink on twenty X3000 trains. Both Scotrail in Great Britain and Italo in Italy have embarked on the same route.
- You want to be able to use the internet on board when you travel. One of the great advantages of the train is that you can sit and work or watch a movie. That's why we do this, says Emilie Thelander, communicator at Norrtåg.
But SpaceX, which supplies Starlink, is not entirely uncontroversial.
The company received criticism when they released a new data protection policy in January. Now SpaceX can use customer data to train AI, while the policy does not specify what data it is.
SpaceX has also been criticized for placing restrictions on service in Ukraine, where it has played a major role in Ukraine's successful drone war. There is a risk in being dependent on a supplier with almost a global monopoly.
How safe can a traveler feel with Starlink?
- On public Wi-Fi, security is based more on the user's equipment. All networks work so that the owner can read the traffic. It's really no different from sitting in a café with public Wi-Fi, and whoever needs or wants to can encrypt the traffic with a VPN tunnel, says Linus Sadlecek Åkerlind and continues:
- We have not chosen Starlink because we love Starlink, but it is about what we can offer the traveler that is the best. Then you have a choice. This is it. When we get our new vehicles in six years it might be different.
But the data stream jumps between the three providers, which means that no one gets a full stream to read.
On the other hand, Starlink is no match for train surfing's archenemy: Tunnels. The service requires open skies. It remains to be seen when, if and how the tunnel issue will be resolved.
