Amtrak to Offer On-Board Internet

True to its mission to support public transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has invested in a test that will offer wireless Internet access to riders on Amtrak's Keystone Line, which stops in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Chris Johnston, assistant deputy secretary of local area transportation at PennDOT, says the agency issued a $155,000 grant to Philadelphia-based NRoute Communications, the company providing the technology. Johnston says PennDOT will gauge customer reaction and interest via an online survey as well as through face-to-face interviews.

In-Seat Internet

NRoute's system will allow Amtrak riders to watch movies and television, check and send e-mail, and shop online using interactive touch-screen displays integrated into the back of each seat, Johnston says.

NRoute markets a proprietary mobile, high-speed wireless network that delivers full video, audio, and Internet access via wireless and satellite technologies to passengers on trains and motor coaches.

Initially the yearlong test, on track to begin next month, will be conducted on one lounge car on the line, which has about 36 seats, Johnston says.

NRoute President Bob Lisowski says the grant from PennDot will cover the costs of purchasing and installing the equipment. NRoute will operate the network with revenue from the advertiser-supported site, Lisowski says.

Ultimately NRoute plans to allow riders to connect to the network via their laptops for a fee, and also offer pay-per-view movies, Lisowski says.

High-Speed Service

Lisowski says NRoute's technology uses geo-positioning and satellite capabilities to distribute high-speed interconnectivity to the train while it is moving. A local caching server on board would hold video content, updated news, weather, sports, and advertising. Large updates to the server would occur when the train is at the station, he says.

Amtrak will get a small share of the ad revenue, says Amtrak spokesperson Bill Epstein.

Although Lisowski says NRoute is looking forward to a long-term relationship with Amtrak, Epstein says if Amtrak were to offer Internet access on a national level, it would have to partner with a company with deeper pockets than start-up NRoute.