GO Transit has made a start on launching the service its electronics toting commuters have been demanding: WiFi on the transit system.

A pilot that allows riders to use WiFi at the Clarkson and Pickering stations kicked off Friday. Oakville comes online in a couple of weeks.

The six-month pilot will include up to eight more stations and three bus terminals and, within a year, all 65 GO stations are expected to provide the service.

So far the WiFi access does not extend to GO trains or buses but the search is still on to find a provider who can offer it free to commuters on the move.

“Initially we looked for a WiFi solution that would cover trains, buses and stations. We wanted a solution that covered all three. We wanted it to be free to GO and therefore free to our passengers,” said Mary Proc, GO’s vice-president, customer service.

But finding a reliable, free service for buses and trains is proving more challenging.

“We’re still looking for a solution to cover trains and buses but nothing’s going to stop us from covering stations,” she said.

Customer wanting to access the new Wifi service can select “IMA WiFi at GO” on the network listings that pop up on their tablets and other devices.

The service is being provided at no charge to GO by IMA Outdoor.

Although VIA offers free WiFi to its customers, GO presents a bigger technical challenge, said Proc.

“A typical GO train has 1,800 passengers so there’s an issue of bandwidth that VIA trains don’t have,” she said.

A recent survey showed that WiFi was the second-most in-demand enhancement GO riders were seeking. The first was heated shelters, but that could reflect the survey’s timing in the winter, said Proc.

“We’re always looking for ways to delight our customers. Customers asked us for WiFi. We listened,” she said.

The other high-demand service riders wanted was refreshments so GO will be piloting vending machines in the next couple of months.

The WiFi is the third major customer service initiative the transit agency has launched lately.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

In Feburary, Quiet Zones were introduced on the upper levels of Barrie GO trains. By mid-May, GO will know how to move ahead on that intiative, said Proc.

In November, the regional transit agency launched its 15-minute money back guarantee so train riders more than 15 minutes late to their destination can claim a refund.

Read more about: