"Amtrak rolls into the Information Age"

An article on SmartPlanet, CBS Interactive site, comments on how Amtrak is improving the overall experience and service customers will receive over the coming years. Some highlights from the SmartPlanet story "Amtrak rolls into the Information Age":

• Amtrak is rolling out Wi-Fi and eTicketing, outfitting its conductors with iPhones, installing high-tech tracking equipment and integrating fully automated food and beverage systems.
• Currently, 75 percent of all Amtrak passengers have access to on-board Wi-Fi.
• Amtrak launched an iPhone app that allows passengers to plan trips, purchase tickets, modify existing reservations and check schedules and status.
• eTicketing: Passengers can print their reservations from home or print tickets at a kiosk. They can also present a barcode on their smart phone to the conductor, who will scan it with his iPhone. The system also allows passengers to purchase tickets at the last minute or once they've boarded a train.
• Amtrak will be testing an app for reporting delays later this year.
• Amtrak executives said they are committed to high-speed rail and the current vision includes bringing 220-mile-per-hour rail to the Northeast Corridor.