Calif.’s LOSSAN Teams with Icomera to Upgrade Onboard Connectivity

EQUANS, through its subsidiary Icomera, is delivering next-generation connectivity to the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, providing the Pacific Surfliner service with the highest quality passenger Wi-Fi.

The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 27 stations. It is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the U.S. with 26 daily trains and pre-pandemic annual ridership of nearly 3 million.

This investment is just one of LOSSAN’s strategies for enhancing passenger amenities. As noted in the LOSSAN Business Plan, key priorities include “Wi-Fi improvement, along with customer communications, train status information, and passenger information and station improvements.”

“We know the importance of providing stable Wi-Fi for our passengers,” said Donna DeMartino, LOSSAN agency managing director. “Whatever the purpose of their travel, the ability to stay connected truly is invaluable.”

Over the years, Wi-Fi service has proven to be a popular passenger amenity. To answer passenger demands, LOSSAN has partnered with Icomera, by way of Amtrak, to improve the speed and reliability of the onboard Wi-Fi service to raise the overall travel experience. In a post-COVID world, LOSSAN is reaffirming the ability to entertain the leisure travelers with increased reserved seating service and Wi-Fi.

Pacific Surfliner passengers will experience reliable Internet connectivity by way of Icomera’s X-Series Mobile Gateway, delivering a significantly improved operator and passenger experience for a Connected Journey. Based on the historic performance of similar passenger Wi-Fi upgrades across intercity fleets, the upgrades will allow 35% to 52% more devices to connect to the onboard network, delivering 34% to 48% more data per trip.

The Pacific Surfliner is funded by the state of California through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and is managed by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.