The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word WI-FI
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
I
-
F
I
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "provided free on trains" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case provided free on trains = wi-fi.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WI-FI mean?
WI-FI noun- Any of several standards for short-range wireless data transmission (IEEE 802.11).
- Wireless networking using one of these standards.
- The capability to connect to a Wi-Fi network.