A Friday morning update of coronavirus-related rail news:
— Metra is closing cab cars to passengers on its 10 diesel-powered lines until further notice in an effort to protect its crew members during the COVID-19 outbreak. On the Metra Electric line, the car on the north end of the train will be closed. The Chicago-area commuter railroad is also asking passengers to maintain the 6-foot social distancing rule while riding, meaning they should not sit in adjacent seats or congregate in the aisles or vestibules, as is commonly the case as a train approaches a station. Passengers are asked to remain in their seats until the train reaches their station; crews will allow extra time for people to leave the train.
— The Alaska Railroad has cancelled its Aurora Winter Train for the remainder of the 2019-20 winter season and delayed the start of its seasonal summer trains until July. The first Coastal Classic and Denali Star trains will operate on July 1; the Glacier Discovery Train is scheduled to begin July 3. The Hurricane Turn train will operate April 2, May 7, and June 4, with regular Thursday-Monday service to begin July 1.
— Steamtown National Historic Site has cancelled its Railfest weekend scheduled for June 13-14, and cancelled all excursions scheduled through July 4,2020. A release from the Scranton site says the park staff will need eight to 12 weeks to meet Federal Railroad Administration regulations for operations once a reopening date is determined.
Update on Germany: As of Sunday morning they have 100,009 reported cases and 2,256 reported deaths, giving a death rate of 2.256%. Their death rate is currently higher than the US as of now. They have about 98 Million population vs. the USA which is supposedly 315M to 320 M. [However, the US population has traditionally under counted those who are in the country illegally/undocumented so the US population could be between 320M to 330M.] Right now the US reported cases is pretty much proportionate to the German reported cases when adjusted for population. It is worth noting that the death rate for NYC is around Germany’s as a country.
In Germany reporting cases is done by their individual 16 governmental districts, not the Federal Government . Some of them apparently haven’t really said anything yet. So all may be quite well there but we need the information from all of them to be sure.
I see Angela has more balls!
Ok a little off topic, Why does Germany have the lowest rate of this virus? Because they shutdown EVERYTHING, all at once,
Especially transit, Not here. Oh wait, it is topic.
Thomas, Like you, I have enjoyed riding commuter trains, streetcars, and most transit and rail lines. Back in ’54 on my high school’s senior trip to Washington DC, when others went to a night club, I chose to ride the streetcar out to Cabin John. And I have enjoyed everything from Boston, to Miami, to San Diego, to Portland and almost everything in between. But I have lived to age 84 and I want to live as long as I can. And I do NOT appreciate deniers trivializing the problems that the COVID-19 virus is creating for this country and the world. If I get sick, I don’t want the Dr’s having to prioritize whether I can get treated because some group felt invincible and flouted the CDC’s recommendations to shelter in place and wound up filling the beds because they came down with the virus. I also don’t want them exposing the medical staff to the virus because all the equipment has been used up needlessly. My wife and daughter are both nurses and I feel for all the overwhelmed medical staff that are doing the best under the overload of cases. Wake up and realize that this epidemic is real and the life you save by staying home might be your own.
Ignore comment below. I was trying to delete and start over and instead posted a partial.
No, I think Thomas might have a point. I mean, the NCAA canceling its billion (with a ‘B’) March Madn
Thomas – just thinking out loud: so currently, the only known way to counter this pandemic (primarily transmitted by person-to-person contact – fact, not conjecture) is by maintaining distancing between people. This means crowding together will quickly spread the covid-19 virus, resulting in an unmanageable increase in death rates. So, I am willing to protect myself and others at the risk of closing down tourist railways for a season. This is not a conspiracy against the economy, this has degraded to the point of pure survival!
Thomas, if it comes to a choice of you seeing the right of way on a sightseeing trip or me being in the cab car alone and away from any potential contact, I will take the cab car alone. I’ve run like that all this week and actually enjoy it.
Thomas Engel,
First, call if by it’s real name, COVID-19 and not some political BS, it’s not like coronaviruses are new or anything(see SARS, MERS and the flu for other relatives in the same family).
Also, FRA safety regulations have to be met by even tourist operations, and Steamtown is a little different in being a National Park. From what I’ve seen most tourist operations will need at least a few weeks to get volunteers back in action, re-certifications will have to be done, rules tests all over again…yeah, it’s won’t happen overnight
What a blast from the past! “The Wall Street”, I rode it in the spring of 1980 in a RDC. I lived on Staten Island and enjoyed the original MU cars with their rattan seats.
BTW what are those FRA regs that might delay openings for months? I’m beginning to wonder whether the actual purpose of these “shutdowns” is more devoted to killing the economy and less to ending the Wuhan Virus plague. Those regs just might keep every tourist railroad shut this year.
So what about riding the rear car to see what the right-of-way looks like? Is that still possible? Very important for us out-of-state “tourists” who are out to ChicagoLand to get the commuter mileage. Yes, commuter mileage counts too; yes, I know some people sneer at it. Back in the 1970’s I set about riding commuter lines–of course back then there was still a lot of Good Stuff: Lackawanna Electrics (I missed the Erie Stillwells), Reading MU’s. I did get to experience PRR MP-54’s and NH Washboards.SIRT and so on. I did get to Phillipsburg NJ and did the Delaware & Bound Brook’s “Wall Street” in regular service. Even in new air-conditioned cars it was still pleasant and I saw enjoyable stations and met good ordinary people. ,