The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) and San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) have long been pioneers in providing passenger Wi-Fi solutions across their fleet. These agencies contract with Amtrak to run intercity passenger rail service in California, with Capitol Corridor operating a 170-mile line between Auburn in Gold Country through the state capital of Sacramento and into Oakland and San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area; and the Gold Runner connecting the Bay Area to Bakersfield, 275 miles south in the Central Valley.
Since 2018, Xentrans has managed a number of technology initiatives on behalf of CCJPA as an extension of staff, overseeing projects ranging from a major upgrade to the passenger Wi-Fi system and onboard entertainment portal, to installation and operationalization of contactless debit and credit card fare payment readers inside the passenger vehicles. Xentrans both supports the project implementation (technical specification, design, and project management) and provides operational support, so it has been necessary to implement a blend of fully custom-developed business intelligence tools and uniquely tailored commercial tools to properly launch and monitor these services.
CCJPA chose to refresh its passenger Wi-Fi system through an open procurement in 2018, replacing a legacy solution originally installed (and validated by Xentrans) in 2012. Working together with CCJPA, Xentrans wrote the technical specification for the next-generation solution which included precise language requiring all data generated by the solution to be owned by CCJPA and accessible by Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Furthermore, the Scope of Work stipulated Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that the vendor must contractually meet, or face financial penalties. This rigorous language ensured that CCJPA would be able to keep the vendor beholden to assurances and targets laid out in the final Conformed Scope of Work (CSOW).
Wi-Fi on board Capitol Corridor
A key aspect of these and all Xentrans services is the ability to integrate multiple vendors’ API data feeds, allowing data sharing between applications and reporting across several technology solutions — for example, ticketing metrics, Wi-Fi usage, and fleet management. The same APIs – together with Xentelligent Insights Analytics – enable Xentrans to ensure the vendor meets SLA obligations. Today, Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner utilize the complete suite of Xentrans services comprising Insights, Service Desk and TrainManager.
As Wi-Fi technology moves from highly complex customized solutions to more commoditized solutions, Xentrans is constantly monitoring vendor roadmaps to ensure that the technology that best fits the agencies’ operating needs is being tested and phased into their solution. This can include standards-based technologies like Open Roaming while also retaining the agencies’ ability to tailor and fully manage the passenger experience.
Regulatory changes make more technologies available, but integrators also impose limitations on their use in certain regions. Xentrans closely monitors these advances to ensure that the technology solutions continue to meet the regulatory requirements while having a pool of suitable hardware available.
With many more initiatives on the roadmap — including using Bluetooth technology to count passengers inside vehicles, and eventually implementing a fully hands-off ticketing experience that enables your mobile phone to automatically purchase a ticket when you enter a train — Xentrans will continue to support and develop tools to ensure that these initiatives both meet the defined requirements and can also be supported long-term.