Still more Wednesday morning rail news:
— The White House is reviewing guidelines for transit systems as part of its proposed three-stage reopening of the economy. The Washington Post, which obtained a draft copy of the guidelines drafted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that most of the items are already being used by some or all systems. They include having employees cover their faces and providing personal protective equipment, reducing seating capacity and limiting maximum occupancy of buses and rail equipment, rear-door boarding for buses, and regularly maintaining ventilation systems to ensure that outside air is brought into the equipment.
— New York City’s subway system is beginning preparations for supporting social distancing when New York’s stay-at-home coronavirus restrictions ease, and expects to require passengers to wear face coverings for months, the New York Daily News reports. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is contacting health experts to determine if passengers can safely stand less than 6 feet apart if all are wearing masks. The agency is also considering providing hand sanitizer equipment at all stations and is considering how to deal with the increased number of homeless who are riding the trains.
— BNSF Railway workers are helping stock a Minneapolis food bank which is feeling the strain of increased requests for help because of the coronavirus pandemic. WCCO-TV reports that groups from the railroads Northtown yard in Minneapolis and its Midway facility in St. Paul are competing to see who can collect and deliver more food for the Community Emergency Service food shelf in Minneapolis. The BNSF Charitable Foundation is also donating $5,000 for food purchases.
In otyher words transit systems – all of them – which were losing huge amounts of money at full loads, will now cut their revue to a fraction.
The first 2 stories are late and moot, 3rd story, Good job!!