Amtrak adds hearing loop tech.

Amtrak installed hearing loop technology at designated ticket counters and at the customer service desks in New York and Washington to enhance the travel experience for passengers with hearing loss.

“Amtrak strives to improve service to all our customers and using technology to better communicate with passengers with hearing loss is the right thing to do,” said President/CEO Joe Boardman.

Amtrak also offers a variety of accessible travel services to passengers with disabilities and is working to further improve the accessibility of its facilities and train equipment.

A hearing loop is a wire connected to a microphone into which an Amtrak agent speaks that then transmits the sound electromagnetically. Passengers with hearing loss, and who use telecoil-equipped hearing aids or cochlear implants, can access that sound to better hear Amtrak personnel. The telecoil functions as a wireless antenna that links to the microphone and delivers customized sound to the listener while eliminating background noise.

No receivers are required.