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Yesterday, Amtrak and its California rail partners — Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and Pacific Surfliner — began offering free Wi-Fi service on all three routes.

The service allows riders to connect with the Internet through AmtrakConnect for general web surfing and accessing email, Amtrak officials said in a prepared statement. In addition, riders can access corporate networks through most standard virtual private networks.

California state passenger-rail agencies funded the Wi-Fi implementation costs by reinvesting cost savings from prior completed rail projects, Amtrak officials said.

During Amtrak’s fiscal-year 2011, more than 5.5 million riders used the three California state-supported trains, up about 7.5 percent versus 2010. California ridership represents nearly 20 percent of Amtrak’s total ridership.