Amtrak will offer wireless Internet service on the high-speed trains that ferry passengers along the busy Northeast corridor, in another bid to lure business travelers away from the airline shuttles.
Wi-Fi access will be available starting in March on Acela trains traveling between Boston, New York and Washington, says Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole. Initially, the service will be free.
Upping the competition with airlines such as Delta and US Airways, which offer short flights to travelers up and down the East Coast, is one reason for the new service, Cole says.
“That’s part of it,” he says. But, “It’s more about our initiatives to add services for our passengers and create a better riding experience.”
He says the efforts are paying off. From September 2004 through June 2009, Amtrak’s share of the market between New York and Washington, compared with the airlines, rose to 61 percent from 50 percent. Its share of the market between New York and Boston rose to 50 percent from 39 percent, Cole says. “When you look at what we did compared to the airlines over the last … year, we made significant inroads,” he says. Internet access is “a service people have been asking for. We’ve been testing it, and we’re ready to roll it out in March.”
The Acela express service gets passengers from New York to Washington in two hours, 50 minutes — 30 minutes faster than a regional train. Wi-Fi access can make time fly faster and lets travelers peruse the Internet longer than if they’re on a short flight and have to log off for the rides to and from the airport.
Amtrak also plans to add Internet availability to Northeast regional trains, Cole says, and to eventually offer it beyond the East Coast.
By offering Wi-Fi on some of its Northeast runs, Amtrak is moving onto turf…