Wi-Fi on Eastern LD Trains

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

After all the non-brain cars are equipped, they will do the brain cars -- they can then start advertising a train as having WiFi when there are enough brain cars for its consists alone. They've done one lounge car just to figure out how to do it and work out the bugs, but they're going to do the others after the entire pools of coaches and sleepers are done.

That makes sense as a sequence to install WiFi. Although I wonder how well the Viewliner I sleeper cars WiFi will work if there is a Heritage diner car without WiFi between the sleeper cars and the Amfleet II diner/cafe car with the hub.
There is WiFi news for the eastern LD trains today. Amtrak issued a press release announcing that Free Wi-Fi Now Available On Auto Train. So the AT Superliner cars have been upgraded. The press release previews the roll-out of WiFi to the single level LD trains.

Most of the press release:

WASHINGTON AmtrakConnect® cellular-based Wi-Fi service is now available to all passengers on Auto Train as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the passenger experience. Auto Train allows passengers to travel with their personal vehicles including cars, vans, SUVs and motorcycles between the Washington, D.C. area and Florida, and stands as the first long-distance Amtrak train to provide Wi-Fi.

This marks the first phase of a larger Amtrak rollout that will provide passengers with free Wi-Fi on all single-level, long-distance train routes in 2016. Combined with other routes where Amtrak has already activated the service, more than 90 percent of Amtrak passengers will soon have access to on-board Wi-Fi so that they may stay connected and entertained throughout their journey.

This new amenity marks an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to improving the passenger experience, said Mark Murphy, Senior Vice President and General Manager Long Distance. The availability of Wi-Fi provides the connectivity passengers expect while traveling and demonstrates yet another reason why Amtrak is a smarter way to travel.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Amtrak is offering its passengers a special $95 Saver Fare aboard Auto Train.

Wi-Fi service will be provided on these long-distance train routes in 2016:

Cardinal: New York Washington, D.C. Cincinnati Indianapolis Chicago

Crescent: New York Atlanta New Orleans

Lake Shore Limited: New York/Boston Albany Chicago

Silver Service: New York Washington, D.C. Charleston Savannah Jacksonville Orlando Tampa/Miami

No Capitol Limited?

 

[keelhauled]

No Capitol Limited?

It is not a single level long distance train.

 

[Ryan]

The baggage car is single level! h34r:

 

[A Voice]

The baggage car is single level! h34r:

Why does your luggage need Wi-Fi...

 

[neroden]

Interesting that they've implemented WiFi on the Auto Train. That indicates that they've solved all the technical problems with implementing it on Superliners (the Auto Train has every sort of Superliner car except the Sightseer Lounge). At that point, it's just money. We can probably expect expansion of WiFi to some of the Superliner trains in 2017 (I'd guess Capitol Limited & City of New Orleans would be first).

 

[Ryan]

Except the technical problem of running in areas with no service. We may never see wifi on some routes because of that.

 

[jis]

Unless they are able to switch to satellite based connection in the blank terrestrial service areas somehow. Afterall those little bumps on the roof of the airliners don;t seem to be all that huge.

 

[afigg]

Unless they are able to switch to satellite based connection in the blank terrestrial service areas somehow. Afterall those little bumps on the roof of the airliners don;t seem to be all that huge.

In August, Amtrak released an RFP for satellite broadband solutions for WiFi so they are considering it. I posted the short summary that was available in the public section of the Amtrak procurement portal website: Amtrak's RFP for satellite broadband solutions for WiFi. Cost will be an issue, obviously. Especially if the goal is enough bandwidth to support WiFi for a train of 300 to 400 passengers I would think.

 

[Aaron]

Here's another announcement of Wifi service on the Amtrak blog: http://blog.amtrak.com/2015/10/sun-sand-and-wi-fi/

They seem to have buried the lede, though. The bigger news is that the Auto Train is apparently now a single level train.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

They seem to have buried the lede, though. The bigger news is that the Auto Train is apparently now a single level train.

An official Amtrak announcement. How embarrassing.

 

[Palmetto]

I do not see where the info says that the Auto Train is a single level train. It does say, though, that starting in 2016, all LD single-level trains will have Wi-Fi.

So: the Silvers, the Crescent, the LSL and the Cardinal, AFAIK.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

I do not see where the info says that the Auto Train is a single level train. ...

This sentence was edited overnight.

"The Auto Train is the first long distance train to receive Wi-Fi service and in early 2016, all single-level long distance trains will be equipped with Wi-Fi via Amtrak Connect."

Glad they fixed it quickly.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

I do not see where the info says that the Auto Train is a single level train. ...

This sentence was edited overnight.

"The Auto Train is the first long distance train to receive Wi-Fi service and in early 2016, all single-level long distance trains will be equipped with Wi-Fi via Amtrak Connect."

Glad they fixed it quickly.

Perhaps it was a good learning experience for someone in the P.R. department. LOL.

 

[Palmetto]

Ah, that explains it!

 

[AmtrakLKL]

The WiFi progress is now at 109 coaches equipped, 46 sleepers and 8 lounges. Lounges are the important part as they have the cellular brains. I recently saw one of the equipped lounges, but the system was turned off. I've heard everything should be complete with official introduction of WiFi availability in January. Slightly late Christmas present for the passengers.

 

[Anderson]

Yet again got a "head fake" AmtrakConnect connection on the Meteor tonight (took it home from WAS after taking three planes to get from Maui to DC).

 

[neroden]

The WiFi progress is now at 109 coaches equipped, 46 sleepers and 8 lounges. Lounges are the important part as they have the cellular brains.

From On Track On Line, I see that that leaves 11 coaches, 4 sleepers, and 17 lounges.

I recently saw one of the equipped lounges, but the system was turned off. I've heard everything should be complete with official introduction of WiFi availability in January. Slightly late Christmas present for the passengers.

I can believe it; that's really not a lot of cars left to equip. Though given that number, maybe *late* January (equipping 32 more cars by New Year's seems unlikely).
Hopefully there will be a little marketing done when the trains are all equipped (although the Capitol Limited will be the "odd man out" so marketing will have to mention that). Should boost ridership some.

 

[PVD]

If the coaches and sleepers are the same ones that would be out for regular maintenance at any given time, that would be close to 100% in service. We need those lounges done, they are the heart of the system, and all the coaches and sleepers on a train being available/done, don't matter if the lounge car on a train is not equipped.

 

[Anderson]

The WiFi progress is now at 109 coaches equipped, 46 sleepers and 8 lounges. Lounges are the important part as they have the cellular brains.

From On Track On Line, I see that that leaves 11 coaches, 4 sleepers, and 17 lounges.

I recently saw one of the equipped lounges, but the system was turned off. I've heard everything should be complete with official introduction of WiFi availability in January. Slightly late Christmas present for the passengers.

I can believe it; that's really not a lot of cars left to equip. Though given that number, maybe *late* January (equipping 32 more cars by New Year's seems unlikely).
Hopefully there will be a little marketing done when the trains are all equipped (although the Capitol Limited will be the "odd man out" so marketing will have to mention that). Should boost ridership some.

Which is going to get even more...interesting...if the through-cars happen. Amtrak might seriously want to consider grabbing a batch of hotspots a la the Coast Starlight and Auto Train, if just to sort of standardize the experience east of Chicago.

 

[neroden]

Or better yet, buy enough Viewliners to make the Capitol Limited single-level and alleviate the Superliner shortage. But we've discussed that already.

 

[PVD]

And you are still corect about it!

 

[afigg]

Hopefully there will be a little marketing done when the trains are all equipped (although the Capitol Limited will be the "odd man out" so marketing will have to mention that). Should boost ridership some.

Which is going to get even more...interesting...if the through-cars happen. Amtrak might seriously want to consider grabbing a batch of hotspots a la the Coast Starlight and Auto Train, if just to sort of standardize the experience east of Chicago.

By the time the through cars on the CL happen, the Superliner fleet may be mostly to fully upgraded to WiFi. The FY15 budget and 5 year plan states the plan is to eventually equip all LD trains with WiFi with the single level LD fleet the focus for FY15 (and into FY16). The AutoTrain has WiFi, so a portion of the Superliner fleet has already been upgraded.

 

[west point]

Like the idea of changing to V-2s for the Capitol limited. However that does require 3 train sets especially if the swap of departure times of the CL and lake shore happens. Now that would also allow for thru cars to Florida on the Meteor that might increase the need for more cars. That would require about 7 - 10 sleepers, 3 diners, 3 lounges & 9 - 12 coaches. So 22 - 28 additional V-2s. Higher number would be the thru Florida cars. Those number include maintenance spares. How to get congress to appropriate the money ? Unknown.

 

[neroden]

Does anyone have a link to that diagram of connecting passenger numbers on the Capitol Limited? I wanted to do some calculations as to whether through cars to Florida would make sense, but of course I didn't save the diagram.

 

[Ryan]

It's saved on my computer desktop, I'll post it again when I get back to the computer. Or you can try to find it here, I know it's posted in the thread that I started about the report it was included in.

Had time to stop off at the computer on the way out the door.