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Amtrak lending phone batteries from kiosks

Amtrak is attempting to solve the issue of limited electrical outlets with kiosks that offer rental phone batteries.

August 11, 2015

Travelers are familiar with the mad dash to find an outlet to charge their phones. Amtrak is attempting to address this need by allowing travelers to rent phone batteries from kiosks, as part of a partnership with startup MobileQubes.

Amtrak has installed four of these rental kiosks at Union Station in Chicago according to a report by the Chicago Tribune. Customers can rent small batteries at $4.99 for 24 hours, and 99 cents for each extra day. The kiosk also allows users to purchase batteries for $44.99.

"This is a safer solution than people sprawling on the floor and using outlets that are designed for floor polishers," Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. "There has been a growing need over the past several years, and this is a response to that."

MobileQubes has also installed its kiosks at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. It has plans to install 300 more kiosks this month at hotels, airports and other transportation centers.