Do Amtrak trains have WIFI? Yes, Amtrak does have WIFI available across the country, but only on selected services. Let’s find out more about one of the most popular questions asked by passengers before they board.
Amtrak trains offer free basic WIFI service in their selected trains and stations throughout the country. With their free WIFI, you can sit back and relax while traveling with Amtrak.
Before we proceed to which Amtrak trains have WIFI, lets discuss when it and how it all started.
History of Amtrak Trains WIFI
In the year 2008, Amtrak offered their first-ever free WIFI service to the passengers aboard in Downeaster.
It is followed by Acela Express and trains from the Northeast Regional trains on NEC in 2010. Then in 2011, Amtrak Cascades provided free WIFI to their passengers. Since 2014, most Amtrak passengers nationwide had access to their free WIFI service.
Moreover, Amtrak’s WIFI has a reputation for being slow and unreliable, but they provide the solution to it in 2011.
Firstly, they introduced an e-ticketing system on Downeaster and released it nationwide in 2012. With this, Amtrak’s WIFI connection improves while implementing some restrictions.
List of Amtrak Trains with WIFI
The following is the list of Amtrak trains that have WIFI according to Amtrak’s website:
• Acela
• Adirondack (not available in Canada)
• Amtrak Cascades (not available in Canada)
• Amtrak Hartford Line
• Auto Train
• Blue Water
• Capitol Corridor
• Cardinal
• Carolinian
• Crescent
• Downeaster
• Empire Service
• Ethan Allen Express
• Hiawatha Service
• Illini/Saluki
• Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg
• Keystone
• Lake Shore Limited
• Lincoln Service
• Maple Leaf (not available in Canada)
• Missouri River Runner
• Northeast Regional
• Pacific Surfliner
• Palmetto
• Pennsylvanian
• Pere Marquette
• San Joaquins
• Silver Meteor
• Silver Star
• Valley Flyer
• Vermonter
• Wolverine Service
Now that you know the list of the Amtrak trains that have WIFI, let’s talk about the process of how to connect with it.
How to Connect to Amtrak’s WIFI
Sometimes, there are times in life when your mobile devices or laptops don’t connect directly to the WIFI. If that is the case, then here are the steps on how to connect to it:
- Look for Amtrak_WiFi under your wireless networks.
- Make sure to select the network with the name of Amtrak_WiFi
- Open your browser or refresh it to see the Amtrak’s welcome page
- Agree to Amtrak’s terms of use. After agreeing, you will be directed to its landing page.
And after doing all these four steps, you are now connected to their free WIFI. So, you can now enjoy your travel on Amtrak with their free internet connection.
Now let’s find out about the speed, restrictions, and security of Amtrak’s WIFI.
Amtrak’s WIFI: Its Speed, Restrictions, and Security
When it comes to speed, the WIFI of Amtrak is not as fast as the other internet connection such as your home or office.
The reason is that they have limited towers along their routes which causes the speed to slow down. For this reason, they have a restriction in their WIFI usage.
Therefore, to ensure that everyone onboard can have an internet connection, they limit their WIFI usage.
WIFI usage is limited to general web browsing activities only.
You cannot use Amtrak’s WIFI to stream music, video, or even download large files. With this restriction, I recommend downloading music or videos in your home before you aboard the Amtrak train.
When it comes to its’ security, it has the same security as the networks found in most public places.
It doesn’t require a login or passcode to connect. With this kind of network, you make sure to protect your personal information while using Amtrak WIFI.
Do Amtrak Trains Have WIFI? – The Final Verdict
Let’s go back to this question, do Amtrak trains have WIFi. The answer to this question is yes & no. So, if you are planning to travel using an Amtrak train, look out first if your chosen route has a free WIFI connection.
My recommendation before you aboard an Amtrak train is to prepare your music and movies to watch by downloading them at home.
Even though Amtrak’s WIFI is not perfect for now, you can still enjoy your journey with them by preparing the things that I mention above. I hope for your happy and safe travels!
Want to know how fast Amtrak trains go, click HERE.
Safe Travels.
