Amtrak Planning Free WiFi For 2010

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Amtrak has announced that it will bring free WiFi to travelers on its Acela line of trains, connecting New York City, Boston and Washington D.C.  The struggling train operator hopes to entice travelers that currently opt for shorter flights between these north east cities.

Amtrak’s plans for WiFi access don’t end with this free WiFi offer on its Acela line, as they hope to extend wireless access to most if not all of their lines.  The difference, however, is that Amtrak plans to eventually offer WiFi as a premium to their travel customers.  The Acela line WiFi offer will be ran in hopes of increasing ridership, a test to generate market response.

Should Amtrak be successful with this offer, it could be expanded to other popular routes in the years ahead.  When Amtrak’s WiFi access switches to a premium service, expect prices to be in line with WiFi offers from air travel carriers.  AirTran, for example, offers in-flight WiFi for $10 for flights under 3 hours and $13 for flights that exceed 3 hours.  While many domestic Amtrak trips exceed this range into 10+ hour travel times, it might be possible for an hourly service charge.  Either way, anyone who has traveled with Amtrak would likely welcome the service, especially during longer trips.