Two Requests for Information (RFI) have been issued by Amtrak to support its high speed Wi-Fi connectivity along the 450-mile Northeast Corridor (NEC) from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Mass. The RFIs mark progress towards advancing the onboard digital experience as the company delivers a new era of rail.
The two RFIs include the following requests:
- Metrics for understanding the market demand for fiber along six subsections of the 450-mile NEC route (Washington Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station, Baltimore Penn Station to Philadelphia’s Gray 30th Street Station, Philadelphia’s Gray 30th Street Station to Newark Penn Station, Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station, New York Penn Station to New Haven Union Station and New Haven Union Station to Boston South Station)
- Organizations interested in deploying a fiber network along the NEC to support long-term digitization
Amtrak is seeking partners to design, deploy and operate a fiber optics and wireless network that improves onboard passenger Wi-Fi, network connectivity and other use-cases. A Request for Proposals may be issued to design and build a new high-capacity fiber optic cable along the route.
Amtrak continues to transform the customer Wi-Fi digital experience to improve connection, network reliability, stability and faster access with:
- Acela software upgrades completed in April 2024 that improve Wi-Fi resource allocation on busier trains
- Upgraded 5G on the Amtrak Auto Train, Pacific Surfliner and Acela
- Northeast Regional upgrades to 5G planned for Summer 2024
