Amtrak's Capitol Corridor and PointShot Wireless Launch Wi-Fi Trial on Rail Cars to Provide Mobile Internet Access to Passengers.Business Editors/Travel Writers/High-Tech Writers OAKLAND, Calif. and OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003 Capitol Corridor “Amtrak Capitols” redirects here. For the Amtrak line connecting Washington, D.C. and Chicago, see Capitol Limited (Amtrak). The Capitol Corridor is a 172-mile (275 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Is the First U.S. Intercity Rail Operator to Offer Wi-Fi Service Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority A Joint Powers Authority (JPA) is an institution permitted under the laws of some states of the USA, whereby two or more public authorities (e.g. local governments, or utility or transport districts) can operate collectively. (CCJPA CCJPA Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (California) ) and PointShot Wireless today announced a three-month "Wi-Fi" or wireless fidelity See Wi-Fi. trial for Amtrak's Capitol Corridor intercity train service, operating between the Sierra foothills, Sacramento, Oakland/San Francisco and San Jose, California San Jose (IPA: /ˌsænhoʊˈzeɪ/) is the third-largest city in California, and the tenth-largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Santa Clara County. . Wireless Internet connectivity will be available along the 170-mile rail corridor for passengers wishing to work, communicate and be entertained while traveling. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor is the first U.S. intercity rail operator to offer Wi-Fi as a differentiated onboard service. It has installed PointShot Wireless' RailPoint Wi-Fi solution on one car to gauge demand for Wi-Fi, establish operational parameters and determine the feasibility of expanding the program. The Wi-Fi solution will debut on Train 534 today, and cycle through other trains within the service. The first month of the Wi-Fi pilot will be free, with minor usage charges for the remaining two months. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor passengers only need a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop computer or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). to access the broadband wireless See wireless broadband. service. The pilot program provides an opportunity for Amtrak's Capitol Corridor to better serve the community of business and leisure travelers in the corridor. Informal polling of passengers by Amtrak's Capitol Corridor found that customers, many of whom are technologically savvy, are eager to be more productive while in transit, leaving more time for family and other interests when they arrive home. Jim Allison Jim Allison was an American college and professional football player. A running back, he played college football at San Diego State University, He was drafted in the 12th round in 1965, and played professionally in the American Football League for the San Diego Chargers from 1965 , senior planner for the CCJPA, said, "We installed PointShot's Wi-Fi solution due to the growing demand from our customers to include this type of service in our offerings. We are allowing users to make the best use of their time while traveling, which in turn leads to increased customer loyalty and new passengers who opt to take the train rather than drive or fly." PointShot Wireless' RailPoint(TM) is a mobile wireless solution that lets rail operators, such as Amtrak's Capitol Corridor, better attract travelers by using Wi-Fi to introduce new customer loyalty programs and increase revenues. In addition to connecting passengers to work, communication and entertainment, PointShot Wireless' RailPoint solution also allows Amtrak's Capitol Corridor transit operators to connect to ticketing applications in real-time. "Our Wi-Fi trial with Capitol Corridor is yet another example of the growing demand for mobile services and underscores the growing popularity of Wi-Fi services in mobile environments," said Shawn Griffin, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of PointShot Wireless. "Our RailPoint solution uses Wi-Fi to help rail operators differentiate themselves from other transport services, better serve their customers and operate more efficiently." For the next 12 months, CCJPA will conduct Wi-Fi trials on other train cars in its fleet. Before the end of the testing period, CCJPA and the California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is a government agency in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems in California. will develop a proposal for the entire state-funded Intercity Rail service to be equipped with Wi-Fi equipment. The California Department of Transportation operates Amtrak's San Joaquin and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner Intercity Passenger Rail services. The U.C. Berkeley-based California Center for Innovative Transportation is a partner in helping State Intercity Train services outfit the entire fleet of California cars in the late fall/early winter of 2004. PointShot Wireless enables the Wi-Fi service with a satellite-delivered broadband downlink and cellular uplink to an onboard Wi-Fi access point. The RailPoint solution also has software that provides the Internet access, a gateway and the 802.11 access point. About Amtrak's Capitol Corridor Amtrak's Capitol Corridor serves sixteen stations along the 170-mile rail corridor connecting Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, paralleling both the I-80/I-680 and I-880 corridors in segments from Sacramento to San Jose. An extensive, dedicated motorcoach network provides bus connections to the train. Together, these systems serve the second-largest urban service area in the Western United States Noun 1. western United States - the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River West Santa Fe Trail - a trail that extends from Missouri to New Mexico; an important route for settlers moving west in the 19th century . Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) manages the service with the assistance of the San Francisco Bay Area “Bay Area” redirects here. For other uses, see Bay Area (disambiguation). The San Francisco Bay Area, colloquially known as the Bay Area or The Bay Rapid Transit District (BART), who provides the day-to-day management staff. In partnership with the CCJPA, Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run operates and supports the trains and feeder bus service. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority partners with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railroad Union Pacific Railroad, transportation company chartered (1862) by Congress to build part of the nation's first transcontinental railroad line. Under terms of the Pacific Railroads Act, the Union Pacific was authorized to build a line westward from Omaha, Nebr. , Caltrans and the collective communities comprising the CCJPA to continue development of a cost-effective, viable and safe intercity passenger rail service. For more information, visit: http://www.capitolcorridor.org About PointShot Wireless Founded in 2002, PointShot Wireless enables simple, seamless and complete wireless solutions in locations that were previously unreachable by high-speed networks. The company's SolutionPoint(TM) family of products represents a unique architecture that bridges 802.11 networks to next-generation wireless, cellular and satellite networks, delivering a host of business and user applications. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The SolutionPoint(TM) family includes products for rail and bus operators, remote locations and instant hotspots. |
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