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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Results Mixed, So Far, for Rail Runner Wi-Fi System
By Lloyd Jojola
Journal Staff Writer
It's now hoped that the Wi-Fi system for the Rail Runner Express train will be in place all the way to Santa Fe by the end of November.
Meanwhile, the ongoing testing of the system in the southern half of the line — between Belen and Bernalillo, where the system is in place — has yielded "mixed results," said Robert Ashmore, state Department of Transportation chief information officer.
Twenty-five members of the public signed up to help test the system. Survey responses were recently received from 11 of them, Ashmore said.
"We've had a few people that have reported dropped connections along the line. We had somebody (last) week who said 'awesome.' We had another case (last) week where we found a virus on the person's computer and (the train's wireless system) locked them out," Ashmore said.
A few at the bottom end of computer equipment said the connections were a problem, he said. "We had some at the top end saying everything was fine for them." A few people reported a "screaming" fast system.
The vendor is tracking down the causes of any problems, which includes checking the receivers on the train cars.
As for setting up the wireless system between Bernalillo and Santa Fe, Ashmore said that is running "a little bit behind." The goal now is to have the system in place from end to end by the end of November.
"We were anticipating that we would get quick approvals from both Santo Domingo and the city of Santa Fe ... and those took a little bit longer than we expected," he said about the installation of some towers.
"We couldn't put one up on the interstate here in Santa Fe where they had wanted it," Ashmore said. "So we moved it and that required us to actually add another tower because they lost their line of sight."
Once the system is fully installed, from end to end, the system is subject to a 90-day "test and acceptance period."
"We'll open it up again for limited testing and pilot users during that 90-day test and acceptance period," Ashmore said. "Assuming that it meets our criteria, then at the end of the 90-day test and acceptance period, it would be open for use."
INX Inc. was awarded the more than $2 million contract to install the system.
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