National Express has seen a threefold increase in the use of onboard WiFi on the East Coast train service since offering it for free from December.

With the switch to free access, the number of users rose from 30,000 a month to over 100,000 in January alone.

Previously, the service was only complimentary for passengers travelling first class, while customers in standard seats paid £4.95 for one hour access.

“The popularity of the service has surpassed our expectations and had a positive impact on people’s journeys," said National Express East Coast head of communications Alan Hyde.

More than 85 per cent of customers carrying a laptop choose to use the WiFi service during their journey, according to National Express.

And better connectivity is driving employers based along the East Coast line to use rail instead of air for business travel, said Hyde.

"It is much easier for their employees to stay in touch and keep working while on the move."