9CHICAGO) Metra riders can now access free Wi-Fi hotspots at all five downtown stations, the transit agency announced Thursday.
Commuting web-surfers can connect password-free to “Metra Wi-Fi” at:
— Union Station, near the ticketing area between the north and south concourses;
— Millennium, in the center passenger waiting area;
— Van Buren, in the north and south portions of the waiting area and at both electric charging stations;
— Ogilvie, in the platform-level waiting area and near ground-floor charging stations in the passenger concourse; and
— LaSalle, on the outdoor concourse and indoor waiting area.
The hotspots cost Metra about $12,000 to install, with about $1,050 in monthly service fees.
The agency is also installing hotspots on 11 railcars — one for each line — in a test program for onboard Wi-Fi. The six-month pilot program is slated to begin once units are installed by January 2016.
