Amtrak extending wifi

[amamba]

Amtrak posted today on Facebook that they will be extending their free wifi service to NE regional trains! Yippee. They are going to add it to more than 450 amfleet cars, per their post on Facebook today.

I think it's a great way to continue to make amtrak more competitive, especially now that planes are starting to add wifi.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Dang, for a brief moment I got my hopes up that it was finally coming to more than just the NEC & West Coast. -_-

 

[Gratt]

Not to mention bolt bus which is a direct low cost competitor to the Regional.

Free wifi is a must on the NEC, consumers demand it, and it must also be stable and reliable.

Hopefully we will soon see it on the rest of the corridor trains.

Lastly, anyone active on AU and that has FaceBook should like the Amtrak page, it often puts out new information faster than any other source.

 

[transit54]

I wonder if this includes trains that traverse part the NEC, like the Vermonter or Pennsylvanian.

According to the Amtrak fleet strategy plan, Amtrak has 412 Amfleet I cars and 142 Amfleet II cars. If all the Amfleet Is were equipped (which would be less than the 450 cited in the press release) then I'd assume that Amfleet I trains like the Vermonter would be getting WiFi. Personally, it's less of an issue for me (I'm already under contract for cellular internet), but I know that WiFi would be a huge selling point for lots of people on the Vermonter.

 

[Acela150]

I wonder if this includes trains that traverse part the NEC, like the Vermonter or Pennsylvanian.

According to the Amtrak fleet strategy plan, Amtrak has 412 Amfleet I cars and 142 Amfleet II cars. If all the Amfleet Is were equipped (which would be less than the 450 cited in the press release) then I'd assume that Amfleet I trains like the Vermonter would be getting WiFi. Personally, it's less of an issue for me (I'm already under contract for cellular internet), but I know that WiFi would be a huge selling point for lots of people on the Vermonter.

That's a very interesting point. From the sounds of it, it looks like it will be on the Amcan I's only. The Penny runs with 3 Amcan I's in it's consist. One BC, One cafe, and One coach. The other 3 are Amcan II's. Which is split with the Palmetto. So maybe those riders could get wifi. But does that 450 include the cars that have NOT come out of BG and Bear? <_< But it would be nice if Amtrak offers the wifi to Amcan I trains.

 

[afigg]

This is really not that much of a news release. Amtrak said last year that they were planning to add WiFi to all their trains, with the NEC and California corridor services first up on the list (after the Acela got WiFi). The press release on the Amtrak website is at http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249222052393&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_ATK-11-023_National_WiFi_Solution.pdf.

Quoting:

"Following its well-received introduction on high-speed Acela Express trains between Boston and Washington, D.C., and last month’s addition of AmtrakConnect® on Amtrak Cascades trains in the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak has set the stage for further expansion of its popular on-board free Wi-Fi service in 2011.

Amtrak plans to install AmtrakConnect on Northeast Corridor services and on more West Coast trains by the end of this year. With the recent selection of Nomad Digital as its preferred technology provider for nation-wide deployment, the Amtrak labor forces at the Ivy City Maintenance Facility in Washington, D.C., and the Penn Coach Yard in Philadelphia soon will begin installing Wi-Fi equipment in more than 450 Amfleet® railcars.

In addition, Amtrak has now completed construction of a dedicated wireless network that significantly improves connectivity and delivers a true high-speed signal to trains while traveling through the New York tunnels and when stopped at the New York Penn Station platforms."

So all it says is that Amtrak has selected a company to provide the equipment, will soon be installing WiFi in the Amfleets, and it will be added to the Northeast Corridor services before the end of the year. Is Amtrak going to wait until all 450 + Amfleets have been upgraded or will there be hit and miss with the Amfleets for WiFi during the upgrade period? I vote for turning it on as the Amfleets get upgraded so I have a shot for free WiFi if I take a Regional. Also, so we can now get WiFi while sitting in the train at NYP from station hubs?

The description says more than 450 Amfleets so I suspect that means only the Amfleet Is will get the upgrade initially. There are close to 450 Amfleet Is if all the variants and Stimulus restorations are added up. They should be adding WiFi to the Amfleet IIs, although the coverage is going to be spotty once the train is off of the NEC. But, heck, the coverage on the Acela can be be spotty at times ON the NEC.

 

[transit54]

According to this article, the Empire Service will also be getting WiFi during 2011. If they are getting it, I can't imagine the Vermonter and other pure Amfleet I trains wouldn't get it. I think the Pennsy, Adirondack and other trains with a mixed consist are more of a toss up.

 

[RRrich]

To me this is a total non-issue. I just finished a circle tour (CHI-SAC-PDX-CHI) with a verizon MIFI in my pocket and other than a few places in Montana I was on the net at all times.

I LOVED IT

 

[user 3575]

More west coast wifi too: "...in January, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) received good news from the California Transportation Commission (CTC). After years of looking for funding the CCJPA is steps closer to securing wireless internet service on our system. The CTC approved use of the $3.75 million in cost savings from CCJPA’s track upgrades in Emeryville towards installing a high-quality, wireless network on intercity passenger trains. This decision benefits both the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin services as both systems share rail fleets (locomotives and passenger coaches). The shared fleet will be equipped to provide free wifi service for passengers as well as secure a platform to transmit and receive

wireless communications to support “e-Ticketing,” credit card authorization, on-board passenger information systems and security camera transmission.

Because free wireless is a top amenity requested by passengers, we expect even more customers once the service is launched, which will be rolled-out by the end of this calendar year."

Things are looking up for our on-time, heavily-patronized CCs!

 

[RRrich]

On my trip on also took a little ride on the Cap Corr SAC - OKJ I was impressed that the AC (a cute little girl) SCANNED the barcode on my ticket!!

I guess the Midwest is a bit behind the coasts in some ways