"Free 4G WiFi on All Amtrak California Trains"

[gmushial]

Quoting from an email I received this morning (from Cal Amtrak)... seems part of the passenger train world is moving, has moved, in a positive direction. And the fact that such is the top bullet item as to why I should ride Amtrak California over the holidays: I think they've heard from, or even better, listened to the passengers.

 

[Braniff747SP]

That's fantastic.

Now, if only the Starlight could get it...

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

I do hope they use 2 or more providers ....... so that If Ma Bell drops . Big Red can take over and vis-a-vis .

 

[rickycourtney]

Not sure why this is a story... They completed the upgrade to 4G WiFi back in April. It works really well compared to the old 3G system.

If I recall correctly the system uses 4 transmitter/receivers, one for each of the major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile). That helps ensure there's always a connection.

Also worth noting... the contractors who run the Amtrak California Thruway Motorcoach routes are in the process of replacing most of their buses with new ones that have 4G WiFi systems. Being able to surf the web really does make the trip fly by.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

That's good news all around.

Has the imaginary Coast Starlight wifi been upgraded to a usable service yet?

 

[TinCan782]

If I recall correctly the system uses 4 transmitter/receivers, one for each of the major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile). That helps ensure there's always a connection.

Good idea to help ensure service as the trains move along.

 

[saturn04]

Do all San Joaquin trains have wifi? One timetable I have says it does, the app says it doesn't. Looking at being on the 712 train.

 

[George Harris]

Do all San Joaquin trains have wifi? One timetable I have says it does, the app says it doesn't. Looking at being on the 712 train.

Yes. I have used it on several trips.

 

[Golden grrl]

Do all San Joaquin trains have wifi? One timetable I have says it does, the app says it doesn't. Looking at being on the 712 train.

I used wifi on a San Joaquin back in December. Also had wifi available on the connecting Ambus from Bakersfield to Palm Springs. Curiously, no wifi on the Ambus from Palm Springs to Fullerton back in December 2013. Took same bus route on 14th of this month and did have wifi all the way. No signs on the bus to indicate wifi was available on it-finally tried it on my tablet after hearing other riders mention live connections. The router for that last bus had an unobvious name, something like C-xxxx with the x's being numbers. Very long license agreement, and limited downloads available, but still very strong signal and plenty good to track the status of Amtrak trains.

 

[SubwayNut]

I had good luck with the AmBus's wifi heading from Bakersfield to Claremont last month the network's name was 'Amtrak'. There was the usual bit of a licensing agreement. There was once website I couldn't access: Greyhound.com, it was clearly blocked with "a this site may be inappropriate" message. Greyhound.ca worked fine. I needed to use Greyhound's website for a bus ticket from Tucson to Mesa on the next leg of my trip. The cheapest way to buy a ticket is buy pr- reserving and then picking one up at 7/11. Ended up pre-reserving using 3G on my iPhone and stopping in L.A. that evening as I waited for the Sunset. (I took the bus to Claremont because that station and Montclair were the only two I was missing for SubwayNut on the San Bernardino Metrolink Line)

 

[Texan Eagle]

Do all San Joaquin trains have wifi? One timetable I have says it does, the app says it doesn't. Looking at being on the 712 train.

Yes. Traveled up and down the Central Valley last weekend and the onboard Wifi works damn well. I did not see the connection drop anytime during both the journeys.

 

[rickycourtney]

Do all San Joaquin trains have wifi? One timetable I have says it does, the app says it doesn't. Looking at being on the 712 train.

That's strange. Looking at the iPhone app... it does say that 712 has Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi on the Thruway motorcoaches is somewhat inconsistent at this point. Caltrans is working with a new contractor to operate some routes and they have purchased a lot of new coaches for the Los Angeles to Bakersfield route.

I think the long-term goal is to have Wi-Fi, power outlets and tables with club seating on all routes (but it's too inconsistent to advertise on the timetable right now.)

 

[saturn04]

This is odd if I take the 712 out of Oakland it shows it does have wifi if I take take the 712 and leave from the Ferry Building in SF the app says it doesn't have wifi. Oh well. Haha

 

[lthanlon]

Do you need to sign up for the Wi-Fi service and get a login name and passcode or do you just connect?

 

[SubwayNut]

You just need to hit the I accept button, Amtrak blocks all livestreaming video and audio services, and you can't download anything larger than 10MB (including their own timetable). On a trip recently I was trying to listen to a radio show, I couldn't download the whole podcast or stream it but luckily figured out it was in multiple segments and I was able to download individual segments. This was riding an empty San Joaquin train, internet was nice and fast.

 

[Nathanael]

Amtrak's WiFi deployment is getting fairly comprehensive now.

What's left undone:

- All the so-called "long-distance" trains with sleepers

- the Palmetto (some cars are supposed to have WiFi)

- the Pennsylvanian (some cars are supposed to have WiFi)

- Maple Leaf (no service in Canada)

- Adirondack (no service in Canada)

- the Piedmont (North Carolina's antique equipment)

- the Heartland Flyer

- the poor old Hoosier State

This is not actually that many trains left to equip. Obviously the western trains will have problems with loss of cell service through the rural areas, but it should be possible to equip all the single-level trains and get WiFi working on them -- if Amtrak has the sense to do so.

 

[RRUserious]

Ahhhhh, California, they loves them some high tech! It's a Cali state of mind.

 

[andersone]

This is an interesting statistic one of our network guys told me before Christmas - You Tube and Netflix use 17% of the total bandwidth available in this country. They won't be able to restrain bandwidth long. People just expect it (as they should) but kudo's for crawl before you walk,,,,

 

[RRUserious]

By the way, all you wi-fi users, you DO realize that cybersecurity experts discourage ANY financial doings on free wi-fi? Or even logging onto your email account untess the software prevents theft of the security data? I haven't used free wi-fi that much, but I do know I've gotten warnings when logging on that "this is not a secure network". You hear all these people talking about checking their accounts when held up somewhere. From what I hear, that's discouraged. I had malware protectdion on my phone, so I wasn't so worried about that. But when my banks flourished their "mobile accomplishments", I demurred. So many ways to get money and identity stolen. No need to make it any easier.

 

[seat38a]

Currently on the Pacific Surfliner. Internet is fast and great! Even in the canyons and along the crevices along the coast, the signal is great. No drops at all.

 

[Nathanael]

By the way, all you wi-fi users, you DO realize that cybersecurity experts discourage ANY financial doings on free wi-fi? Or even logging onto your email account untess the software prevents theft of the security data?

Oh yeah -- only do financial stuff from a hardwired computer which you control. Basic rule.