A Friday morning update on cuts to rail service related to the coronavirus pandemic:
— As of Thursday, Amtrak Cascades service has been reduced by one more round trip, with trains No. 517, the 11:30 a.m. southbound departure from Seattle, and No. 518, the 3 p.m. northbound departure from Portland, Ore., suspended. The volunteer-staffed station at Olympia/Lacey, Wash., has been closed, although trains will continue to stop there.
— In the Philadelphia area, SEPTA and PATCO will both make new service cuts. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will reduce service as of Sunday on its Regional Rail, trolley, and high-speed lines, switching from a modified Saturday schedule to an Essential Service Schedule. On the Cynwyd line, cuts will take affect Monday and service will be Monday-Friday only. Schedule information is available here. PATCO, the commuter rail system between Philadelphia and Lindenwold, N.J., is closing four of its 13 stations and making cuts as of Saturday. The Ashland, Westmont, City Hall, and 12th/13th & Locust Street stations will close so the agency can concentrate its cleaning and law-enforcement efforts on its nine most-used stations. The new schedule will see trains operate every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight weekdays, with service ranging from 30- to 60-minute headways overnights and on weekends.
— The San Francisco Peninsula’s Caltrain service will make significant additional cuts to weekday service effective Monday, March 30, cutting from 92 daily trains to 42, with trains every 30 to 60 minutes between San Francisco and San Jose. Two round trips to Gilroy will continue to operate. Schedules and other information are available here.
— The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority will reduce streetcar and bus service effective Sunday, with the St. Charles line operating on 36-minute headways and the Canal-Cemetaries line on 32-minute headways. The Riverfront and Canal/City Park lines will not operate. Bus service will be cut to Saturday levels on most lines, with some lines suspending service.
— Washington, D.C., Metro will offer significantly reduced service this weekend, operating between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. with 30-minute headways. Nineteen of the rail system’s 91 stations have been closed to discourage non-essential travel, including those around the Tidal Basin to keep people from making trips to view the cherry blossoms. Only 26 bus lines will operate.
In Philadelphia only the regional rail will be on the essential service schedule. For now, the other lines will be on a Saturday schedule.
Here’s a story, everywhere, social distancing everywhere, self isolation the govt says but at the same time, they keep transit, planes, trains, buses on “ reduced” service. And btw they’re packed like sardines, getting everybody sick, Hypocrisy. Hello!!!
The New Orleans RTA is also eliminating fares as of Sunday March 29.
Where are all the stories?