I Tried It: Working Aboard an Amtrak Train

pcmag.com:

I’ve always loved trains. Like Marge Simpson and potatoes, I just think they’re neat. That’s why I took an opportunity to save a day of PTO and work while traveling on an Amtrak train. 

As we passed through the many whistlestop towns throughout the Deep South on the way up to PCMag's office in New York City, I appreciated the views from my bedroom window aboard the Southern Crescent train. A chessboard-turned-desk attached to the wall was sufficient for my working needs, and a tiny USB-connected fan kept the oppressive heat and humidity at bay.

I knew Amtrak’s free onboard Wi-Fi would be slow on my trip, but I hoped it would be sufficient for me to remain productive enough to complete my everyday tasks, which include browsing the internet for research, emailing, and sending small text-based files. I also wanted to see if the free Wi-Fi connection could support more robust network usage, such as audio streaming using a service like Spotify, video conferencing, and connecting to a VPN server. 

Is Amtrak’s free Wi-Fi usable for your average office worker? Let’s find out.

According to Amtrak, the trains have modems that connect to the cellular towers along their routes to provide basic free Wi-Fi services to all train passengers. The signal is most reliable when close to a tower. Amtrak cautions passengers against engaging in high-bandwidth online activity such as audio and video streaming when they connect to the network, stating that such activity slows the network speeds for everyone else on the train. Throughout my journey, the free Wi-Fi provided a slow but reliable connection.

Amtrak also advises passengers to contact the train conductor if there is an issue with the onboard Wi-Fi instead of sending them to a customer