Amtrak Tracking for My Commute Between New York City and Philadelphia

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Amtrak adds WiFi to Fight Disruptive Free Bus Internet

Amtrak said the installation of wireless Internet access on its Acela Express trains would be complete in March and initially free to passengers. Competing bus services along the NEC have offered WiFi for over a year and their fares are much cheaper than Amtrak's. This is good that Amtrak will now be offering Internet access on their trains but by the end of 2010 there needs to be free WiFi on all Amtrak trains across all of the US, not just on Acela. I want to see both Amtrak and bus service succeed but bus service along the NEC has been gaining on Amtrak the past year and making Amtrak look bad ($1 fares, free WiFi, roughly same travel times, nearly as comfortable). There's room for both Amtrak and bus service to be profitable along the NEC I feel as both can serve different types of travelers across income ranges. Commuters can't take Bolt bus from Philly to NYC but they can take Amtrak. Commuters need WiFi on Amtrak and commuters take regional trains, not Acela.