The program started with a pilot in January 2008 on the Worcester Line, where 45 coaches were fitted with routers which connected to cellular data networks. This was the first Wi-Fi available on a commuter rail service in the United States. The Worcester Line was chosen for the pilot phase in part to compensate for low on-time performance, as well as to test the service across the line's varied terrain. The program was considered successful; in December 2008, the MBTA announced that Wi-Fi would be available on all trains by mid-2009. Of the 410 coaches then owned by the MBTA, 258 would receive Wi-Fi equipment at a rate of about 30 per month.