Exciting news for those of you who travel by train in the Northeast and want wi-fi access.
From an Amtrak News Release (2 pages; PDF):
This phase of Wi-Fi expansion includes Northeast Regional trains, the most popular Amtrak service, which operates daily between Virginia and Boston, and the heavily traveled Empire Service (New York – Albany – Buffalo) and Keystone Service (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg, Pa.)
Other routes now with Wi-Fi include: Carolinian (New York – Charlotte), Downeaster (Boston – Portland), Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, Vt.), the New Haven – Springfield Shuttle and Vermonter (Washington – St. Albans, Vt.)
Wi-Fi also is installed on four other routes as part of this expansion, but only in select cars marked with hotspot window stickers because these trains are made up of different types of equipment: Adirondack (New York – Montreal), Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto), Palmetto (New York – Savannah, Ga.), and Pennsylvanian (New York – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh.)
AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi service is already available on high-speed Acela Express trains in the Northeast Corridor and on the Amtrak Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest.
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Ihe next expansion of Wi-Fi will be on state-supported Amtrak services in California by the end of 2011, including on Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquin trains. When that occurs, 75 percent of all Amtrak passengers will have access to on-board Wi-Fi.