YOU can surf the net as you ride the Oxford Tube into London from Sunday as part of a three-month free trial.

Passengers will get free web access to trial Wi-Fi technology on all 25 vehicles in the Oxford Tube fleet.

Stagecoach's trial of the Wi-Fi technology will also include the first major use of a vehicle tracking system.

This will give the company a real-time at-a-glance view of its fleet and the exact locations of individual vehicles on the road via the web.

Brian Souter, chief executive of Stagecoach Group, said: "Many of our passengers on Oxford Tube are commuters and students, so having free access to email and the internet will be a significant benefit.

"The technology will also help us track the progress of vehicles on the network and advise customers of any issues that are likely to affect our services."

The entire Oxford Tube was replaced two years ago at a cost of £8m allowing more than 6,000 passengers a day to travel on the service to London.

The technology allowing the free web and email access, and the tracking technology, has been provided by Telabria Networks The results of the trial will be assessed and, if successful, the system will be made available on a permanent basis.

Oxford Tube services run up to every ten minutes between Oxford and London, stopping at Lewknor, Hillingdon, Shepherds Bush, Notting Hill, Marble Arch and Victoria.