Powerless Passengers

Photo by Andreas Haslinger on Unsplash

In the modern world, staying connected when on the move is important. Having adequate facilities for Wi-Fi and phone chargers is essential not only for the accessibility of tickets and timetables but also for public safety and work purposes. However, if you’re a frequent passenger in the UK, you may have noticed the start of a prevalent issue which, unless the public transport system can keep up with the times, won’t be leaving us anytime soon.

Following Parliament's approval in October 2022, Europe will soon be able to use a single charging lead for all standard electrical devices — a USB-C – which will be implemented by the end of 2024. While the specific change is for the device end, and the UK does not have to comply, we’re already seeing industry giants such as Apple implement a USB-C port as standard, as seen in their latest four models (15,14,13 and SE) and Samsung's latest fast-charging plug. Therefore, it’s clear that USB-C to USB-C will become the new norm across all major tech companies and society.

With this in mind, where does this leave the public when charging their phones and staying connected on public transport?

To explore the true enormity of this impending issue in the UK, musicMagpie has delved into the data, analysed the charging facilities and Wi-Fi across the train and coach network, and determined which public transport companies are best equipped to keep their passengers connected when travelling.

None of the UK’s most popular phone companies include a USB charger as standard

For context, none of the UK’s most popular phone manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, or Google Pixel[1], currently offer new phones with a USB plug connector as standard.

100% of Apple, Samsung, and Google Pixel's latest phone models now feature USB-C ports. The only thing preventing a full USB-C to USB-C domination in the study are USB-C to lightning products, including slightly older iPhone models such as the SE, 13, and 14.

It seems that Huawei, the fourth most popular phone brand in the UK, is the only brand with current phone models that can use the USB ports provided on public transport—the HUAWEI Mate X3 and HUAWEI Mate 50 Pro. So unless you own these models, future passengers will face many low battery predicaments whilst on the go.

57% of train lines can’t guarantee three-pin plug sockets across all services, leaving passengers powerless as we head towards a USB-C domination

The study indicated that 57% of trains in the UK are unable to ensure the availability of three-pin plug sockets on all services. Consequently, travellers may need to rely on USB ports, which, despite being available on 90% of trains, are becoming increasingly obsolete. This situation poses a risk of passengers experiencing power shortages during their journeys.

This presents a significant issue, as USB-A ports will soon be redundant to most of society due to technological advancements. Passengers with the latest phones from Apple, Samsung, or Google Pixel, which feature USB-C charging ports, will soon face difficulties charging their devices on trains.

The Elizabeth Line in London was one of the last train lines to invest in these charging ports last September, and it is still being rolled out with the aim to have them across all 70 lines by 2025[2]. However, the USB-C plug will likely have stronger social dominance and USB-A ports may be seen as a wasteful investment by then. Likewise, last June, c2c also unveiled its new £100 million trains, which boast USB ports for every seat. Again, installing a more timeless three-pin plug socket may have been a wiser option in an evolving tech landscape.

Thankfully, the majority of train services now have free Wi-Fi available on board with only some trains, such as Great Northern, Thameslink, Scotrail, and Transport for Wales, specifying that Wi-Fi is available on “many” and not all of their services.

Passengers travelling around England will be the least connected and will need a power pack

To determine which part of the UK faces issues with charging, we examined whether the train services travelling through each station stop across the UK will guarantee a three-pin plug.

The data revealed that only 28% of train services throughout England guarantee a three-pin plug socket, meaning passengers with a phone featuring a USB-C charging port won’t be able to charge their phone. Meanwhile, nearly all services in Wales and Scotland guarantee plugs. The only downside when travelling to and from Scotland is the lack of free Wi-Fi guaranteed across all train networks.

Northern train lines feature the most outdated USB-A ports, while passengers in the Midlands are the most powerless

The data reveal that in the Midlands, only 24% of train lines stopping throughout this region can guarantee passenger three-pin plug sockets. 89% of these services have also invested in outdated USB ports, which may be a short-lived investment. This makes the Midlands one of the least connected parts of the UK when travelling.

Meanwhile, to many people's surprise, the people travelling in the North of England will have the highest chance of being able to charge their devices. However, three-pin sockets are still a hot commodity, with only 39% of Northern services guaranteeing a plug socket onboard for all services. In line with the USB trends, 96% of Northern services have invested in USB ports, which will soon become redundant in the modern age.

The southern services followed closely, offering USB ports on 85% of services and guaranteed sockets on only 35%.

The top UK locations most in need of a power pack

Overall, the study found that if you’re travelling to and around Rutland, you should invest in a good power pack. None of the train services can guarantee a three-pin plug socket or even a USB port if your phone still uses this charger. Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire follow this.

Surprisingly, even London makes the list. Despite being the capital of England and full of tourists and commuters, people visiting here are the sixth most likely to need to invest in a battery pack when travelling around.

Passengers travelling by coach will have no way of charging their phones in the future

The study analysed the three leading UK coach services, National Express, Megabus, and FlixBus, and concluded that none of these coaches currently have USB-C ports as standard.

National Express currently have USB ports but no three-pin plug sockets on board, meaning that any hopeful USB-C user won’t even have the opportunity to plug their phone into a three-pin socket.

While Megabus cannot confirm the specifics, it has revealed that its buses will have either a plug or a USB port onboard. If there is no socket, many USB-C passengers may be powerless on their journey. Likewise, Flexbus passengers will be lucky to have a USB port, with only some buses promoting these and no three-pin plug sockets available.

THREE-PIN SOCKET

Data on whether a three-pin plug socket would be guaranteed across all train services in standard class was found by cross-referencing information from customer service teams and information available online. If the train line's website did not specify and did not reply to messages, we based it on existing data from the Railsmart report and external sources like news articles. 

USB PORTS

Data on whether a train line has invested or is investing in USBs on any service/train, including first class, was found by cross-referencing information from customer service teams and information available online.  If the train line's website did not specify and the train line did not reply to messages, we based it on existing data from the Railsmart report and external sources like news articles. 

REGIONAL DATA

The services and stops for each train line were taken from the Wikipedia articles for each service. These stops were sorted by county and country to give overall figures on the percentages of rail services offering USB slots or three-pin plugs.

COACH

Coach data was collected by asking their customer service teams about their charging facilities across all coaches and buses. 

Sources:

1. Most popular smartphone brands in the UK - Statista https://www.statista.com/forecasts/997892/most-popular-smartphone-brands-in-the-uk#:~:text=We%20asked%20UK%20consumers%20about,in%20our%20Consumer%20Insights%20tool.
   
   
2. Elizabeth Line rolling out USB ports https://www.timeout.com/london/news/tfl-is-adding-phone-chargers-to-elizabeth-line-trains-092923