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. 09:20 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT'S THE BEST OVERALL INDICATOR OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE FRESH AIR IN THAT ROOM OR NOT 09:26 // BUTTED // 09:32 IN WASHINGTON STATE NOW IF YOU GOT TO A RESTAURANT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CO2 READING. The place is the environment. Wundermans advice for travelers considering taking trains this holiday season is to book a roomette or fly instead. Mask wearing reduces risk and is now mandatory on many forms of transit in the U.S., including New York Citys subway and bus systems, as well as Amtrak trains throughout the country. Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada took major hits in the two years since COVID-19 pushed much of the world into lockdown mode. 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. Since then, that number has climbed north of 30% as the calendar moved closer to summer.With tourism expected to rebound, officials hope to get back to about 60% of pre-pandemic ridership by mid-summer. COVID-19 has fast-tracked many innovations already in the works. Since then, ridership crept partway back to its. 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.. On Jan. 25, a test train with no passengers pulled new coaches from Chicago to Pontiac, then back again to Chicago on Jan. 26. Amtrak, which serves more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces, also offers a unique class of service that might especially appeal to travelers in the COVID-19 era: private rooms. Our customers trust Amtraks commitment to safety and are responding positively to the investments and improvements we are making, said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. Follow Sophie Bushwick on TwitterCredit: Nick Higgins, Tanya Lewis is a senior editor at Scientific American who covers health and medicine. This left a total of five dining tables open (all of which must be reserved for a specific time in advance). Detours with locals. Silverman is a travel agent, operating a Cruise Planners franchise from her home. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Instead of eating in the dining car, I took advantage of Amtraks new room service option and had all my meals delivered right to my room at a time of my choosing. Travel on Amtrak to Virginia Wine Expo at the Main Street Station in Richmond, Va. Travel news, guides and tips for anyone looking to get away. That study went on to point out the potential threat existed even with a mask. "Ventilation is the way forward," says infectious disease doctor Abraar Karan of Stanford. Despite these rules, the woman directly behind me left her nose poking out over the top of her mask as she carried on an animated conversation with her traveler partner. Masks covering your nose and mouth are required by Amtrak in all stations, as is keeping proper social distance from others. I would only travel by train right now if I could get a private room she said. The curtain of my cabin was closed, and not wanting me to miss the view, Linda hopped on our cars intercom to make an announcement. Its the ultimate transient experience: Almost as soon as you see something out the window, its gone, and then everything eventually fades to black. In Vermont, Dr. Arnot advised some of the local school districts on how to improve their air quality. Then, in 2009, Amtrak installed a new high-tech safety system on 97 miles of track it owns in western Michigan reaching into Indiana. An airplane cabin is probably one of the most secure conditions you can be in, says Sebastian Hoehl of the Institute for Medical Virology at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, who has co-authored two papers on COVID-19 transmission on specific flights, which were published in JAMA Network Open and the New England Journal of Medicine, respectfully. Besides COVID-19,. "We know this is an airborne virus. We have no middle seats, so each passenger either is seated beside a companion or you have an empty seat next to you.. For those who cant 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 air exchange rate every four to five minutes. If the tests go well, METRO may add the purification to the rest of the fleet. Amtrak was created by the Congress in 1971 when the nations existing railroads said theyd no longer carry passengers. If you have a FOIA request, please clickhere. Discover world-changing science. Also, Magliari said: We have significantly more spacing (than airlines and buses) between our seats. They even had a decent selection of vegetarian and gluten-free options. Reliable data on the frequency of COVID transmission in cars is lacking, however. All of those situations increase your risk of coming into contact with the virus and picking it up. If the tests go well, METRO may add the purification to the rest of the fleet.For the buses, ridership is down about 60% from pre-pandemic levels.METRO launched a joint website with regional transit systems to provide information to riders about safety protocols.This summer, expect lots of open windows on the buses too to add extra ventilation, officials said.That, this summer -- and even heading into colder months -- may be the key, according to Dr. Arnot:"Fundamentally you've got to have clean outdoor air, indoors and where could you possibly have better air than the state of Maine. I grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and put in my order for lunch. By the time I reached the dining car, I was relieved to see that Sandy, the dining room attendant, was masked and wiping down tables. At night, she saw passengers traveling in coach with masks down as they slept, and during the day, mask use seemed intermittent at best in communal areas. The airport, for example, is usually an extremely busy place with people coming and going from all over, and passengers typically spend a long time cooped up together waiting for their plane. Solo travel can be risky. Since then, ridership crept partway back to its. Despite the release of a report in 1985 called Detroit-Chicago Corridor: High Speed Rail, nothing much changed. Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. Last year, the rail systems executives along with their boosters in the nonprofit Rail Passengers Association had hoped to cap their record-breaking 2019 ridership with a crucial win in the U.S. Congress, at last giving Amtrak the legal clout for its trains to take precedence over the freight trains that it says so often cause delays. Experts worry safe ventilation overlooked as coronavirus capacity limits, mask mandates lift, WMTW NEWS 8'S STEVE BOTTARI REPORTS THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THE SAFETY PUZZLE: VENTILATION. This will hopefully avoid clusters of people in aisles and at doorways. "We have been waylaid by the CDC with 'wash all this stuff,'" Dr. Arnot said. An NEJM study in March reported on a Thai taxi driver who fell ill and tested positive for the coronavirus after driving some tourists who had been coughing but wearing a mask. "I think Maine is very well positioned," Quinn said. Dont let them spoil a trip. Since my journey seemed to vary from what I had read about other pandemic Amtrak experiences, I decided to reach out to travel writer Ali Wunderman, who had journeyed overnight on Amtraks Empire Builder train, which runs from Chicago to Portland, Oregon. And, the company's 18,000 employees are required to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing, effective Nov. 1. While driving and flying are the most popular travel options, where does taking a train fit into pandemic travel? During the 2019 fiscal year, Amtrak carried a record 32.5 million passengers; however, an Amtrak internal analysis in April showed a 95 percent drop in ridership because of the coronavirus. Travel tips you can trust. DOI: 10.1186 . An alternative option for passengers in the coach class is to choose seats near train doors that open during stops. Unfortunately, roaming around the train is a bad idea right nowand for the foreseeable future. Fresh air is helpful to keep droplets from lingering, but it still won't protect you from a direct hit of a cough or sneeze. Thats far less risky than the indoor settings of airport security lines and waiting areas where passengers gather and sit before boarding. Face Coverings While Amtrak passengers and employees are no longer required to wear masks while on board trains or in stations, masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19. "It's not to measure whether you have too much carbon dioxide as any kind of a toxin," Dr. Arnot said. It is worth noting that masks are not mandatory in the dining car when seated for meals, nor are passengers required to wear masks elsewhere while they are eating or drinking. Katherine Alex Beaven is a Los Angeles-based travel, food and drink, and culture writer. An onboard filtration system continuously refreshes the space every four to five minutes, removing air from the car's interior and replacing it with new, conditioned, external air. "Youll have much more control over your environment and you can go a long way without being in contact with other people. Its the people in your immediate vicinity that you have to worry about. He acknowledges that the joys of long-distance train travel include being able to wander around, pick up snacks at the dining car, and stretch your legs. Among . But even with fresh air available, an infected passenger can still transmit the coronavirus to someone who is sitting in close proximityso riders should attempt to space themselves out and avoid densely packed cars whenever possible. Companies have also implemented rigorous cleaning procedures between flights. For the most part, it seemed the protocols were being adhered to, but when staff seemed more lax about sanitizing and enforcing mask policy, passengers used that opportunity to be less safe themselves.. UPDATE: Vermonter Train 55 is currently operating approx. As I set my things down, the train rolled into motion. The need to extend safety systems and upgrade more track, officials said. Are We Experiencing a Second Wave of COVID-19? This summer, expect lots of open windows on the buses too to add extra ventilation, officials said. Increased Amtrak Police Department presence in stations and onboard trains to help enforce the federal transportation mask mandate. Shorter ridesespecially those under roughly 15 minutespose a lower risk than long ones. Sometimes, doing all this extra work makes me feel paranoid, and I almost didnt do it this time. Knowledge awaits. multi-million-dollar and multi-year project, Amtrak Recognized as One of Americas Best Large Employers. In August the New York Times asked several international transportation agencies whether any superspreading events had been linked to mass transit, and they said none had. Rossi is a medical doctor in Pekin, Illinois, and CEO of Reditus Laboratories, a company that conducts COVID-19 testing. However, she adds, I dont think many people realize that the trains have very sophisticated ventilation. An onboard filtration system continuously refreshes the space every four to five minutes, removing air from the cars interior and replacing it with new, conditioned, external air. Many transit companies have established frequent cleaning routines, but evidence suggests that airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus poses a greater danger than surfaces. [email protected] More airtight locations would have to work with their HVAC systems to increase the fresh air intake to levels that would adequately lower the parts per million (PPM). Amtrak typically makes track announcements between 10 and 15 minutes before departure, and I wanted to get a good seat. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. Even worse, on the popular route from Chicago to Detroit to Pontiac, on-time performance occurred just 33% of the time. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Many of the cities in question required commuters to wear masks. About five years ago, with ridership rising after the Great Recession ended, Amtrak launched a long-awaited modernization effort. One such investigation of a 10-hour journey from London to Hanoi starting on March 1 found that 15 people were likely infected with COVID-19 in-flightand that 12 of them had sat within a couple of rows of a single symptomatic passenger in business class. Those with medical conditions who cannot wear masks must wear a face shield as a substitute. Due to safety reasons, the windows on Amtrak trains open only in case of emergencies, explains Kuhnen. In fact, we have a full-time medical. We will continue to prioritize offering a modern, safe and reliable customer experience and preparing for what should be a monumental fiscal year 2022.. Amtrak hopes this slower stretch of track, owned by MDOT since 2012, can be upgraded by the end of 2022. Passenger train operator Amtrak claims to cycle air through cabins 44 times an hour. Learn more atAmtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. And while safety and sanitization were largely prioritized no matter which train I rode, the experience wasnt uniform. But now the idea of being in such an enclosed space with a stranger can seem like a life-and-death proposition. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH USM TO TEST THAT 04:15 IF THE TESTS GO WELL, METRO MAY ADD THE SYSTEMS TO THE REST OF THE FLEET. Media members should contact the Media Relations Office for their region (see the map and listings here). When thinking about the risk of transmission, I like to use a rhyme that was coined by Bill Miller, an epidemiologist at The Ohio State University: people, place, time, and space, says Eleanor J. Murray, ScD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. With flying, COVID risk really comes down to how closely one sits to other people and for how long, whether or not everyone is wearing a mask, and how infectious any passengers are at the time. In fact, I had taken my inaugural journey on the bucket-list route back in early February, riding south from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo and then, a few days later, catching the train down again to the end of the line in Los Angeles. Today, Amtrak's service recovery has stalled, while VIA Rail is looking forward to something of a comeback under difficult circumstances later this spring; a comeback that . It found no correlation between mass transit use and transmission of the virus. Amtrak's ridership hit an all-time record nationwide in 2019, then skidded by about 90% in April when cases of COVID-19 began soaring. On the train, it's critical to wear a mask. We talked to Amtraks corporate medical director, Ann Kuhnen, MD, as well as two epidemiologists about why these precautions matter, and what else you should know before booking a trip. 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. Solo passengers can use the empty seats next to them for personal belongings. "Ridership had dipped as low as 10% of normal volume compared to 2019 at the worst of the pandemic this winter, according to the Downeaster. But is train travel during the coronavirus safe? Some drivers have even installed a plastic shield between the front and back seats. To wear a face shield as a substitute Maine schools, like in Gorham, used... Information on your browser, mostly in the works `` I think Maine is very well positioned, Quinn. Not to measure whether you have to worry about, with ridership after... To them for personal belongings roaming around the train, it may store or retrieve on... Will hopefully avoid clusters of people in aisles and at doorways cabins 44 times an.. On to point out the potential threat existed even with a stranger can seem like a proposition. Between the front and back seats & quot ; says infectious disease Abraar! Choose seats near train doors that open during stops Angeles-based travel, food and drink, and I didnt. Stuff, ' '' Dr. Arnot said, mostly in the works point out potential! Some drivers have even installed a plastic shield between the front and back seats a travel,. Through cabins 44 times an hour cleaning procedures between flights roaming around the train is a bad idea right for... Drink, and I almost didnt do it this time a long-awaited modernization effort is the way forward &... 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