(The following article by Chip Jones was posted on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website on June 6.)
RICHMOND, Va. — Amtrak trains may not always run on time, but now they’re easier to track.
The nationwide passenger railroad announced yesterday the start of Amtrak Mobile, which allows customers with Web-accessing mobile devices to connect with Amtrak’s online reservation and information system.
Officials called the mobile link, which became operational yesterday, “a first in the transportation industry.”
The Web site can tell when a customer is using a hand-held device and automatically connects to Amtrak Mobile. It doesn’t require a user to register for the service Users only need to log on to Amtrak.com to gain access. About 38 percent of Amtrak’s sales are conducted on its Web site.
“You can be in a cab or subway, go online and check schedules, see if a train is on time, or change a reservation — all without any special downloads or registering,” said Barbara Richardson, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing and sales.
Amtrak hopes the innovation is popular on its Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston, used by about 30,000 passengers a day. Many of them travel on business and can use the service to “change travel plans at a moment’s notice,” according to an Amtrak release.
“It’s just as useful to a rural passenger who needs to know a train’s status,” Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said.