Metra Pilot Program to Put Wi-Fi on 10 Railcars

Metra officials said Friday morning they will install free Wi-Fi on 10 railcars systemwide for a six-month pilot program, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The amenity will allow passengers to use personal electronic devices during their commutes.

In a 2014 Metra customer survey, more than 80 percent of respondents said they used a smartphone, and nearly percent used their phones while on the train, officials said.

The 10 railcars will be retrofitted with cellular hot spots before January 2016 to determine whether the technology can provide free and dependable Internet access to customers onboard Metra trains, officials said in a press release.

The six-month pilot program is expected to cost approximately $35,000, Metra said. Once the technology is installed, Metra plans to alert customers about the test program and how to identify which railcars will have “hot spots,” the agency said.

Metra will also notify customers there may be dead zones along the route and advise them that streaming video onboard will likely impair service, officials said.