Finally, after six months in soft launch, Metra will add more Wi-Fi hotspots to its train cars by the end of October, according to an announcement Wednesday.
Metra began testing Wi-Fi on a dozen cars back in February. The service was successful, so 50 additional cars will get equipped with wireless internet. (The timeline for the rollout wasn't clear from Metra's announcement; we've asked for more details.) Look out for the orange decals that will mark the trains with hotspots. The annual cost for all 62 hotspots will average out to $186,000.
Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi won’t be fast enough for you to stream your favorite Netflix show, but you will be able to check email and browse webpages.
Last year, Metra installed free charging stations and free Wi-Fi in the waiting areas at all five downtown stations. Hopefully on your next trip to the ’burbs, you won’t get stuck on a Wi-Fi-less car.