Amtrak enables handheld interaction

Amtrak travel will be a little easier for handheld users now that the railroad company has upgraded its interface to allow interaction with Web-enabled mobile devices.

Things that you can do now that you couldn’t do previously: make, review, upgrade, or cancel a reservation; check the status of a train; and review and update your overall profile.

You won’t need any special software to access the new features. Amtrak has done the virtual heavy lifting for you. All you need do is access their website using your Blackberry, Palm or Treo, or other surfing handheld device. Then, it’s just a matter of clicking on the correct link or typing in the right letters and numbers. The website will remember your userID but not your password. Any credit card numbers that you might enter are processed and then deleted.

Sadly, this new interface and functionality can’t do anything about the trains’ being on time. That’s a different department.