Responding to the coronavirus outbreak, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Virginia Railway Express have announced service reductions effective Tuesday, March 17.
MBTA subway and trolley lines, along with most buses, will operate on Saturday schedule. Commuter trains will also operate on reduced schedules. Ferrys will not operate. Details are available here.
In a news release, the MBTA said the changes reflect guidance from public health professional as well as reductions in ridership.
“The MBTA plays an important role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus while continuing to provide critical services to medical professionals and other employees in key industries that rely on public transit,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in the release. “While some of these changes are inconvenient, they maintain a responsible balance between protecting the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and our customers, and our goal of continuing to run safe and reliable service without major disruptions.”
VRE will move to its S schedule, used for holidays, inclement weather, and other service disruptions, with four round trips a day instead of eight on each of its routes. Schedule information is available here.
— Updated at 1:05 p.m. CDT with VRE plans.
