Friday news on coronavirus-related changes in rail service:
— Chicago’s Metra will cut service by about half beginning on Monday, March 23. There will be changes on every line except the Heritage Corridor, which will continue with its seven daily trains. “This is an unprecedented situation; we are attempting to do our best to provide service for those who still need public transportation and match service with demand,” Metro CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a news release. The new schedules are available here.
— Seattle area transit cuts beginning Monday will include a reduction of Sounder, Link light rail, and Seattle streetcar service. Sounder South service to Tacoma and Lakewood will be cut from 13 round trips to eight; Sounder North service to Everett will be cut from four round trips to two. Link light rail will maintain the 14-minute headways it has used during a construction project that is scheduled to be completed this weekend. King County Metro will reduce the First Hill Street frequency from 12- to 15-minute headways, while the South Lake Union Streetcar is being suspended.
— Miami-Dade Transit’s Metrorail will continue to operate from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, but with reduced frequencies. For now, weekend service remains unchanged. Its Metromover Peoplemover will see a 25% reduction in frequency.
— Amtrak’s Downeaster is further reducing operations. There will be three round trips today, but only two thereafter: on Saturday and Sunday, southbound trains 692 and 694 will operate, as will northbound trains 693 and 695; March 23-27, southbound trains 680 and 682 and northbound trains 681 and 684 will operate. All plans are subject to change; check Amtrak.com and the Amtrak smartphone apps for up-to-date information.
— Updated at 10:45 a.m. CDT to add item on Downeaster.
News outlets continue to praise truckers for continuing to work inspire of the virus. Good for them. But this would be a great time to bring attention to the country that railroads still exist and the advantages of shipping by rail!
Who would of ever thought an ugly locomotive would push/pull a Metra train? Besides the MP36 , F40PHM, F59 and the soon to arrive SD70 of course.