All the others have people right next to you, she said. But I reminded myself that I was booked in one of Amtraks private bedrooms, a space where Id have my own sitting area, en suite bathroom with a toilet and shower, a sink, and, when I was ready to call it a night, a bed. That time, I had bought a business class ticket, an upgrade that came with two free bottles of water, an onboard food credit, and even a free early evening wine tasting. Your Health Quickly, Episode 1, COVID Poses Severe Risks during Pregnancy, Especially in Unvaccinated People, Survivors of Deadly Earthquakes Must Deal with Lasting Trauma, A New Map Tracks the World's Largest Glaciers, The Most Compelling Science Graphics of 2022, See How Much Climate Change Has Cost Different Countries. Also, Magliari said: We have significantly more spacing (than airlines and buses) between our seats. Amtraks Coast Starlight is a Superliner, a fancy term that basically means its a double-decker train which, as I would find out, is great for views, but can get a little rocky in your private room. If another passenger somehow ends up sitting or standing too close to you, politely ask them to moveor, better, move yourself. Yes, its lonely and solitary, but unfortunately during the coronavirus, thats perfect.. DOI: 10.1186 . This left a total of five dining tables open (all of which must be reserved for a specific time in advance). Then, in 2009, Amtrak installed a new high-tech safety system on 97 miles of track it owns in western Michigan reaching into Indiana. For decades since, the system struggled to get funding and to upgrade service on key routes like the Wolverine, Amtraks line that links Chicago to Detroit, then runs north through Oakland County to Royal Oak, Troy and Pontiac. Business is now at about 70% of pre-COVID levels, up from 25% at this time in FY20, and based on the current forecast, ridership and revenue is expected to improve to about 80% of pre-COVID levels by the end of fiscal year 2022. For those who can't get a private room, Khabbaza recommended accessing fresh air for improved ventilation, even though Amtrak says all of its trains have onboard filtration systems with a fresh. Increased Amtrak Police Department presence in stations and onboard trains to help enforce the federal transportation mask mandate. multi-million-dollar and multi-year project, Amtrak Recognized as One of Americas Best Large Employers. While many parts of my experience failed to meet my expectations, there were others that exceeded them. Greater Portland METRO has installed high-tech purification systems onboard their new buses. This summer, expect lots of open windows on the buses too to add extra ventilation, officials said. COVID-19 has fast-tracked many innovations already in the works. Amtrak is issuing travel guidelines that aim to reassure customers that several added cleanliness and convenience measures have been implemented on their trains as the country begins to reopen during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Space: Do you have any personal space, do you have enough distance between you and others? Thanks for reading Scientific American. Even worse, on the popular route from Chicago to Detroit to Pontiac, on-time performance occurred just 33% of the time. While there are certainly ways to heed caution by rail, If you can drive, drive," Lofgren says. The most important thing we can do to keep passengers and employees safe is the use of face coverings, says Amtraks Kuhnen. In the dining car people wouldnt wear a mask while they were actively eating, but it seemed like they would use eating just like on planes as an excuse to keep their mask off.. As I approached the platform outside the sleeping car, I flashed my paperwork to a welcoming employee who managed to flash back a big smile, even with her face hidden behind a mask. Every other table had a sign on it, instructing passengers to leave the booth empty in order to maintain social distancing. While driving and flying are the most popular travel options, where does taking a train fit into pandemic travel? After locking the door behind me and closing the privacy curtain, I immediately took out my tub of Clorox wipes. "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said. I noticed signage stating that passengers and staff must wear masks at all times unless in the privacy of their own rooms had replaced Amtrak promotional posters on the walls. By the time I stepped onto the platform in Union Station this time in Los Angeles I was ready to go home, but already missing the train. In contrast, Amtrak conductors were very strict about keeping everyone socially distanced. Silverman called her trip a relaxing way to travel.. He had the virus and infected 4 passengers. We now understand that smaller airborne particles can spread this virus, so employees are wearing face coverings, and were asking passengers to do so, too.. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Since then, ridership crept partway back to its pre-pandemic level while Amtrak operated fewer trains and strictly enforced social distancing in coaches that could carry twice as many passengers. "We're investing in some additional CO2 sensors, we're setting those CO2 sensors to the lowest possible level, which is ensuring that out systems are exchanging air, at the fastest possible rate," Superintendent Heather Perry said in our report on schools last August.PUBLIC TRANSIT ADAPTSPublic transit systems have also been focusing on the ventilation component.Amtrak put out a video highlighting its air filtration system, citing numbers that it cycles air through the train cars on average 44 times an hour, replacing with fresh air about every 5 minutes. 00:27 THESE ARE OUR MOST SOPHISTICATED INTERIOR SYSTEMS, AND THERE DESIGNED TO CYCLE AIR ON AVERAGE 44 TIMES AN HOUR 00:3 AMTRAK EVEN PUT OUT THIS VIDEO -- HIGHLIGHTING THEIR SYSTEM -- SOMETHING THE DOWNEASTER SAYS HAS BEEN HELPFUL FOR RIDERS. "Almost no cases came from somebody touching something -- all the time and effort spent washing when it should have been ventilation, number one, and masks, number two.". Knowledge awaits. Jan. 14, 2022. In other words, unless I chose to, I wouldnt have to interact or share space with any other passengers on my 30-hour journey from Portland to Los Angeles. The same goes while aboard their trains. Guidelines and suggestions only work if theyre enforced, and Amtrak has said that customers who refuse to wear a facial covering will be denied boarding, and those customers who still opt not to wear a facial covering will be provided with a full refund. Amtrak will reduce its service between Friday and Jan. 6 as it grapples with a rising number of COVID-19 cases among workers and poor weather conditions, according to The Washington Post. Despite the risk, many people are likely to travel using various forms of transportation that will inevitably put them in relatively close contact with others. Amtrak, however, is limiting passenger capacity to roughly 50 percent (a percentage that varies depending on the quantity and size of groups traveling together) and has expanded cars and routes . A post shared by Ali Wunderman (@aliwunderman). A LIVE READING 09:37 FOR MOST OF US -- THE SOLUTION IS LIKELY AS SIMPLE AS OPENING OUR WINDOWS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Some drivers have even installed a plastic shield between the front and back seats. And in Michigan, the on-time rate was just 43%. Amtrak typically makes track announcements between 10 and 15 minutes before departure, and I wanted to get a good seat. Of course, you may have good reasons for getting away from home, and putting one foot in front of the other just isnt going to get you very far. Heres how to stay safe. Learn more atAmtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. There seemed to be less risk of transmission, however, for people who were seated near windows and doors that could open. It found no correlation between mass transit use and transmission of the virus. When I finally made it to the dining room the next day, after official breakfast hours were over, Sandy and Linda greeted me. 05:49 CERTAINLY WITH THE SUMMER COMING WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN -- AND I'M SURE THAT WILL MAKE OUR PASSENGERS FEEL BETTER ABOUT HAVING THE FRESH AIR 05:56 THAT, IT SEEMS, MAY BE THE KEY MOVING FORWARD. "We have been waylaid by the CDC with 'wash all this stuff,'" Dr. Arnot said. Solo travel can be risky. "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said.The doctors say the upper limit of any building you would want to be in would be around 800 PPM, measured by CO2 meters that are available online and in most home improvement stores for around $100.Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. Theres no filtration system in the world that will move air fast enough to get COVID-19 away from you before you can be exposed to it, says Lofgren. App users will also receive boarding gate and track information at select stations so they can head directly to their train. On Jan. 25, a test train with no passengers pulled new coaches from Chicago to Pontiac, then back again to Chicago on Jan. 26. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Jun 22, 2020, 09:00 ET. But later reviews of the evidence suggest mass transit systems have not been major drivers of viral spread. 01:32 (LOSE FILE CHIP) IT'S NOT JUST BUILDINGS -- PUBLIC TRANSIT LIKE AMTRAK HAS BEEN LOOKING AT AIR QUALITY TOO. MediaRelations@Amtrak.com (CG: DR. BOB ARNOT, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT) 06:30 MIT JUST CAME OUT WITH A BRAND NEW PAPER TWO DAYS AGO SAYING IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOURE 6 OR 60 FEET AWAY THE KEY THING IS YOU NEED TO HAVE FRESH OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY INDOORS. 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