This seems like a total rip to me… In my train travels, (I ran the corridor several times a week for a few years) I’d never get to the station with any time to kill unless weather got in the way of the scheduled train. As nice as some of the Amtrak stations are, they really are not where you spend any time. You could do much better with a bluetooth connection from your phone or a handheld like a Blackberry or Treo. I’d like to see Wi-Fi on the train, in motion… that’d be worth paying for even if you only ride the Acela for just over an hour… A day rate would be the best though giving you a single fare for round-trip day trips.
Amtrak and AT&T Wireless put Wi-Fi hotspots in six Northeast train stations: Boston (Router 128), Providence, New York (Penn Station), Philadelphia (30th Street), Wilmington, and Baltimore (Penn Station) have Wi-Fi service starting today, according to the press release. These stations process a million passengers a day. It’s $10 per day per location–unlike T-Mobile’s $10 per day throughout the network fee. They also offer a 5-pack ($30 or $6 a session) and a 10-pack ($50 or $5 a session). Business subscribers only who already participate in AT&T Wireless’s “Corporate Digital Advantage and Wireless Business Advantage” plans can purchase unlimited monthly service for $40 per month to supplement voice plans or $35 per month to supplement data plans. [Wi-Fi Networking News]
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