Hanno
OBS Chief
Are there any plans in the works to provide Wi-Fi on long distance trains? Do any have Wi-Fi available now and if so, which ones?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Wi-Fi
- Thread starter Hanno
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Coast Starlight has Wi-Fi available in the Pacific Parlor Car. Note that it is a "terrestrial" system using regular towers, and not satellite. Therefore, it is not always strong or even available, where there isn't coverage, such as when it goes along the coast at Vandenberg AFB.
Ryan
Court Jester
Yes.
The CS has it now.
Amtrak has announced plans to roll it out fleet wide, but I can't recall the source or the schedule.
The CS has it now.
Amtrak has announced plans to roll it out fleet wide, but I can't recall the source or the schedule.
WMJ_NJ
Train Attendant
I read somewhere on this board that the reason a Sightseer Lounge was running on the Auto Train was because the regular lounge cars were being rotated out for WiFi installation. As a side note it is not advertised but the Lorton Station provides free WiFi. The Sanford station does not but I feel that will change when the new station opens.
Bill J
Bill J
The AT has always had a special Sightseer Lounge that acts as a backup to the normal lounge cars. It's needed to allow for routine maintenance and FRA mandated inspections. When a car is out for any of those reasons, a problem with another car would leave them short of lounges. So a Sightseer was converted to suppliment the fleet.
Is it possible that they have started working on Wi-Fi for the AT? Yes. But the Sightseer Lounge wasn't brought in specifically to facilitate that. It's been a member of the AT car fleet for quite some time, at least 7 or 8 years, perhaps longer. But I know that I rode in it at least 5 or 6 years ago.
Is it possible that they have started working on Wi-Fi for the AT? Yes. But the Sightseer Lounge wasn't brought in specifically to facilitate that. It's been a member of the AT car fleet for quite some time, at least 7 or 8 years, perhaps longer. But I know that I rode in it at least 5 or 6 years ago.
daveyb99
OBS Chief
I can just hear the complaints now: How come AMTRAK charges for WIFI.
But Amtrak doesn't. The WiFi is free on the Acela and at the stations with Amtrak WiFi service. Amtrak's announcement back in June (?) about adding WiFi to their entire system stated they planned to offer it for free, IIRC. Makes sense, because Amtrak charged for the service, they would get a ton of complaints whenever it dropped out going through tunnels or areas with poor or no 3G/4G service. Offer it for free as an incentive to take the train, but if it drops out or people can't connect, then people can't demand their WiFi fees back.
As for Lorton having WiFi, I would expect Amtrak is adding WiFi to all the larger stations they own. Would not be surprised if they plan to add WiFi to all the staffed stations, but for the many stations Amtrak does not own, it would have to be worked out with whoever owns and runs the stations.
I did see a report recently that Amtrak will be turning on Wifi for the Northeast Regionals in November but that should be consider unconfirmed.
B
Ben Nash
Guest
Any ideas for when wifi will be on all routes? I'm planning a few cross country trips and I'd prefer to take a 3 day train rather than a 5 hour flight, only if the train had wifi. Something as simple as wifi could seriously help the industry compete with air.
But really, do we have any dates?
But really, do we have any dates?
transit54
Conductor
No, there's aren't any dates. Unfortunately it's going to be difficult to put WiFi in on the short term because so many long distance trains - especially those out west - travel through a lot of very rural area not covered by cell service (though I had decent luck on the CZ with my AT&T cell card this summer). Eastern LD trains would be easier to start with. I think one potential technology with a lot of promise is the new satellite being launched by a company called Viasat. JetBlue is contracting with them for inflight wifi, and they promise to offer broadband comparable speeds for costs comparable with a terrestrial connection. I believe they will be launching their satellite sometime next year, and JetBlue plans to bring their system online in 2012. That's going to be the only way to ensure WiFi without interruption on all LD trains.
roomette
Lead Service Attendant
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Sans tunnels.
transit54
Conductor
Good point.
Of course, cellular won't be of much help in those tunnels, either - at least not the LD ones mostly used for freight.
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
Unless there a way to install the antenna in the tunnel so it can broadcast the wi-fi signal through the tunnel so the train can pick it up.
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
Also, aircraft can fly above the clouds and weather while Amtrak can't. Then again from what I've read most airlines that offer service now are actually receiving their communications from ground-based towers and not from satellites. Go figure. Although I would appreciate internet service aboard the train I don't think it's that important right now considering what Amtrak will soon be up against.
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transit54
Conductor
They are. Right now, satellite service offers low bandwidth and is very expensive. That will be changing with the satellite launch I cited above.
That being said, while I don't think WiFi is priority #1 for Amtrak, it has to potential to bring on board a tremendous number of new riders, especially on corridor routes.
WMJ_NJ
Train Attendant
On my Auto Train trip in August I used a Verizon Broadband USB card and I had pretty good coverage on the trip except for some spots in the Carolina's. I have since switched to Comcast Broadband which uses Sprint but won't be able to be test it until my February trip to Florida.
Bill J
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Satellite is also restricted to line of sight, so you've got to have a clear view of the southern sky. In any sort of mountainous terrain, this probably won't work.
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
What about microwave some news vans use it.
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Ryan
Court Jester
Also line of sight. And a very narrow beamwidth, so you'd have to have a powered, gimbaled antenna on the train to track the other end of the link.
In other words, unpossible.
In other words, unpossible.
MattW
Conductor
Ideally, you'd probably have some sort of transceivers set up at intervals along the line with their antenna patterns such that they cover the track as completely as possible, and only the track, which admittedly is not that practical because unless the transceivers are every 100ft or so, you're going to get some spillover
But outside of any short corridor (commuter), this would take mega bucks...
But outside of any short corridor (commuter), this would take mega bucks...
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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3G and 4G cellular data signal can and are broadcast within some select tunnels using leaky coax installed in the tunnels. Once that is available one can simply use a MiFi to convert that to WiFi signal. Verizon peddles a neat little component that will do this so that you can set up your own WiFi network out of your pocket and connect up all your computing gear to the internet.
VentureForth
Engineer
That is actually how the New Mexico Railrunner planned to implement wifi on their route. Don't know if it ever took off, though.
That can't be a cheap way to implement it...
That can't be a cheap way to implement it...
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