You are safest in your seat. (CG: DR. BOB ARNOT, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT) 06:30 MIT JUST CAME OUT WITH A BRAND NEW PAPER TWO DAYS AGO SAYING IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOURE 6 OR 60 FEET AWAY THE KEY THING IS YOU NEED TO HAVE FRESH OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY INDOORS. It has less to do with germy surfaces than you think. While driving and flying are the most popular travel options, where does taking a train fit into pandemic travel? As soon as I stepped into the boarding line at Portlands Union Station, I noticed signs of the times: masks and markers on the floor, instructing people where to stand. However, on the routes where the boarding announcements didnt sound as intense about COVID policies, passengers seemed less inclined to follow the rules. Last spring, Amtrak reduced its Wolverine service from three round trips daily to just one a day between Pontiac and Chicago. With mask mandates and capacity limits lifting in Maine on May 24, some experts are warning we need to take a closer look at something they feel has been overlooked in this pandemic: the quality of the air we are sharing inside. Mask wearing reduces risk and is now mandatory on many forms of transit in the U.S., including New York Citys subway and bus systems, as well as Amtrak trains throughout the country. If you happen to be seated close to a person who is actively shedding the virus, especially if it is a long flight or that person is not wearing a mask, there is a higher chance that you will get the disease. National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Usted puede o no saber si algn miembro de su hogar o una persona que visita su casa tiene COVID-19 u otros virus respiratorios. Thats far less risky than the indoor settings of airport security lines and waiting areas where passengers gather and sit before boarding. In lieu of offering everyone private rooms, Murray says that assigned (spaced-out) seating is a smart step for Amtrak to take to protect passengers and allow for social distancing. And, the company's 18,000 employees are required to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing, effective Nov. 1. On the train, it's critical to wear a mask. YOU CAN FI, With mask mandates and capacity limits lifting in Maine on May 24, some experts are warning we need to take a closer look at something they feel has been overlooked in this pandemic: the quality of the air we are sharing inside. COVID-19 Innovative Adaptations As COVID-19 has greatly impacted the transportation industry, Amtrak has had to make some innovative adaptations. DETROIT As segments of society reopen and the world rushes to get vaccinated, more Americans may lose their fear of flying and once again crowd airports and airplanes. Amtrak typically makes track announcements between 10 and 15 minutes before departure, and I wanted to get a good seat. COVID-19 has fast-tracked many innovations already in the works. FOR PLACES LIKE BARS, RESTAURANTS AND STORES DR. (ARE- KNOT) ARNOT HAS A PROPOSAL INTO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO MANDATE CARBON DIXOIDE METERS. Flynn asked for a predictable and long-term source of federal funding to continue modernizing the system. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Shorter ridesespecially those under roughly 15 minutespose a lower risk than long ones. At the very least, it does no harm to wear a mask. About five years ago, with ridership rising after the Great Recession ended, Amtrak launched a long-awaited modernization effort. During the 2019 fiscal year, Amtrak carried a record 32.5 million passengers; however, an Amtrak internal analysis in April showed a 95 percent drop in ridership because of the coronavirus. "We know this is an airborne virus. Amtrak, however, is limiting passenger capacity to roughly 50 percent (a percentage that varies depending on the quantity and size of groups traveling together) and has expanded cars and routes . Since 2012, theyve rolled as fast as 110 mph there. All of that may, literally, require an act of Congress. But those still wary of catching COVID-19 may wonder: Is taking a train safer? If the tests go well, METRO may add the purification to the rest of the fleet. The collision occurred at an unguarded rail crossing on a section of Quarry Road that only serves . Increased Amtrak Police Department presence in stations and onboard trains to help enforce the federal transportation mask mandate. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Transportation Security Administration reported a massive bump in travelers passing through airports, and AAA predicted nearly 50 million people would be traveling by car. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. Those numbers suggest there could be another travel bump in the next few weeks around Christmas. Learn more atAmtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. AND YOU KNOW EVEN ALMOST MINUTE BY MINUTE. In fact, the whole room looked like what I would have expected to find in a first-class suite on an international flight back in the 1970s (if they made them this big). Passport wait times are up again. "I think Maine is very well positioned," Quinn said. Sometimes, doing all this extra work makes me feel paranoid, and I almost didnt do it this time. If the lawmakers see it Amtraks way, many more travelers may ride the rails for reasons other than COVID-19 concerns. This article was published more than2 years ago. Travel writer Ali Wunderman has taken a couple long-distance Amtrak trips during the pandemic, from Montana to the Bay Area in August and from Portland, Ore., to Chicago, then to Boston in September and October. The APTA report notes that on most systems subway cars and buses, new air replaces stale air almost 18 times an hour. Travel tips you can trust. 2023 Amtrak Media. That made me not want to gather in any kind of a public space while on the train whatsoever, she said. Travel on Amtrak to Virginia Wine Expo at the Main Street Station in Richmond, Va. For decades, improvements crept at the pace of a freight train inching through a switchyard. "We have been waylaid by the CDC with 'wash all this stuff,'" Dr. Arnot said. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Jun 22, 2020, 09:00 ET. An alternative option for passengers in the coach class is to choose seats near train doors that open during stops. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners. In Vermont, Dr. Arnot advised some of the local school districts on how to improve their air quality. There was also a metal utility sink, molded plastic wall, and an airplane-sized bathroom with a handheld shower nozzle over the toilet. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Joseph Khabbaza, a critical care medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic, said travelers can be meticulous about their plans and still the wild card is you dont know whos going to be close to you and how close theyre going to be, what are their personal views, and how they have been approaching these last seven or eight months.. Amtrak passengers can now see how full their train will be upon booking amid the COVID-19 pandemic. METRO launched a joint website with regional transit systems to provide information to riders about safety protocols. The need to extend safety systems and upgrade more track, officials said. After taking Amtrak's Coast Starlight train from Portland to Los Angeles during the pandemic, one traveler shares her experience of the 30-hour journey. Amtrak said on Friday that it will temporarily reduce service on some trains because of staffing challenges stemming from a surge in cases of the Omicron variant among workers . It sits in the air and moves over time and space," said Dr. Bob Arnot, a longtime medical journalist and infectious disease expert who treated Ebola patients in Africa in the early 2000s. "Two of our new buses have an air purification, a U.V. "It's as if people were walking into burning buildings and we didn't have smoke detectors", "We know this is an airborne virus. multi-million-dollar and multi-year project, Amtrak Recognized as One of Americas Best Large Employers. At night, she saw passengers traveling in coach with masks down as they slept, and during the day, mask use seemed intermittent at best in communal areas. "MEASURE THE AIRDr. Customers are assigned specific seats once they board, says Predmore, and they wont be seated next to or facing other passengersunless theyre traveling together with friends or family members. Places like Washington State have already mandated live CO2 readings for restaurants, as a way to try to mitigate the virus risk. Although no mode of public transportation is completely safe, there are some concrete ways to reduce risk, whether on an airplane, train or busor even in a shared car. Widespread mask use is key, says Lofgren. They were very serious about having people wear masks. 00:27 THESE ARE OUR MOST SOPHISTICATED INTERIOR SYSTEMS, AND THERE DESIGNED TO CYCLE AIR ON AVERAGE 44 TIMES AN HOUR 00:3 AMTRAK EVEN PUT OUT THIS VIDEO -- HIGHLIGHTING THEIR SYSTEM -- SOMETHING THE DOWNEASTER SAYS HAS BEEN HELPFUL FOR RIDERS. I took a few last glimpses outside the window and wondered what views Id miss as we passed by in the darkness. Nationwide, Amtrak was on time only 60% to 70% of the time in many states in 2019. Amit Gaggar Photography: Steve Wood. On Jan. 25, a test train with no passengers pulled new coaches from Chicago to Pontiac, then back again to Chicago on Jan. 26. "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said.The doctors say the upper limit of any building you would want to be in would be around 800 PPM, measured by CO2 meters that are available online and in most home improvement stores for around $100.Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. Up until this point, all of my anxiety about traveling during a pandemic had managed to drown out something I hadnt even considered: the excitement of traveling. Employees are also required to wear masks at all times, unless in their private rooms. Bring disinfectant wipes to clean the surfaces in your area, like the armrests and tray tables. In Michigan, a clear example is a batch of recently upgraded locomotives and soon-to-arrive, new passenger cars. Amtraks Coast Starlight is a Superliner, a fancy term that basically means its a double-decker train which, as I would find out, is great for views, but can get a little rocky in your private room. In my pre-pandemic life, I traveled for work two to three times a month a far cry from the one-mile radius I had confined myself to in Brooklyn between March and August. "Youll have much more control over your environment and you can go a long way without being in contact with other people. Most of these flights occurred early on in the pandemic, however, and in the case of the March 1 flight, masks were likely not worn, the researchers wrote. Most major cities subways and trains constantly recirculate a mixture of fresh air and older air, both of which are pulled through a filter rated on the MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) scale. This is what experts say. An NEJM study in March reported on a Thai taxi driver who fell ill and tested positive for the coronavirus after driving some tourists who had been coughing but wearing a mask. Federal law says freight trains must yield to passenger trains when both want to use the same track. Many transit companies have established frequent cleaning routines, but evidence suggests that airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus poses a greater danger than surfaces. The 14 Most Scenic Train Rides in the U.S. 31 Romantic Weekend Getaways to Book on a Budget, From Oprah Daily for Orangetheory Fitness, safest way to travel is via your own two feet, Bill Miller, an epidemiologist at The Ohio State University, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO: IN HOMES, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, EVEN PUBLIC TRANSIT -- TO LOWER THE RISK IN FACT: IN A LOT OF CASES -- THE SOLUTION IS SUPER SIMPLE. Amtrak was created by the Congress in 1971 when the nations existing railroads said theyd no longer carry passengers. Is train travel a safer option this holiday? "Ventilation is the way forward," says infectious disease doctor Abraar Karan of Stanford. At the same time, the rail service announced that it would begin strictly monitoring where passengers sit and how many board each car. With tourism expected to rebound, officials hope to get back to about 60% of pre-pandemic ridership by mid-summer. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Our timing was impeccable and lined up with the sunset. A September report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) examined the coronaviruss spread in cities around the globe that had robust public transit systems. This past spring the novel coronavirus tore through New York City, reaching a peak of thousands of new cases per day in April. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. She noticed more thorough sanitation on her Portland-to-Chicago route, and less mask enforcement from Chicago to Boston. With flying, COVID risk really comes down to how closely one sits to other people and for how long, whether or not everyone is wearing a mask, and how infectious any passengers are at the time. While many parts of my experience failed to meet my expectations, there were others that exceeded them. Wundermans advice for travelers considering taking trains this holiday season is to book a roomette or fly instead. It turned out to be a rough night, full of rattles and rumbles. These 3 tools can help you navigate quarantine and testing policies by state, That could mean if you are in a crowded train station, if the train itself has it has a density of people around you whether thats passengers or crew members that could still pose a risk, Suh says. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Follow her on Twitter @unamandita, Rob Jackson, Corinne Le Qur, Pep Canadell, Pierre Friedlingstein and Glen Peters | Opinion. As the coronavirus pandemic .css-9cezh6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#E61957;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-9cezh6:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}rages on around the world, experts reiterate that the safest way to travel is via your own two feetpreferably using them to go on a nice, solitary walk around the block or through the woods. When thinking about the risk of transmission, I like to use a rhyme that was coined by Bill Miller, an epidemiologist at The Ohio State University: people, place, time, and space, says Eleanor J. Murray, ScD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. "Almost no cases came from somebody touching something -- all the time and effort spent washing when it should have been ventilation, number one, and masks, number two. Offers may be subject to change without notice. WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today announced that the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is making over $1 billion available to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to support the railroad's activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the . Since then, Amtrak has enhanced both its fleet and travel experiences to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Oh, look at that! Her voice sounded like she had just won the lottery. We have studied, analyzed, and made improvements to the Amtrak travel experience from beginning to end, focusing on the safety and health of our people and travelers.". SHARON, Vt. (AP) The driver of a tractor-trailer that was hit by an Amtrak train on Monday has been . A number of subway and train systems use lower-rated MERV filters that are still capable of at least reducing the volume of coronavirus in the air. While this reserved seating option doesn't apply to your local, commuter train, you can follow the same best practices. However, she adds, I dont think many people realize that the trains have very sophisticated ventilation. An onboard filtration system continuously refreshes the space every four to five minutes, removing air from the cars interior and replacing it with new, conditioned, external air. In fact, I had taken my inaugural journey on the bucket-list route back in early February, riding south from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo and then, a few days later, catching the train down again to the end of the line in Los Angeles. One such innovation is the expansion of reserved seating on Acela trains. Feb 28, 2023 (CDN Newswire via Comtex) -- The Global Ventilation Devices Market study has been announced by MarketQuest.biz for 2023-2029. That time, I had bought a business class ticket, an upgrade that came with two free bottles of water, an onboard food credit, and even a free early evening wine tasting. .css-ssumvd{display:block;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.0625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.25;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-ssumvd:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-ssumvd{letter-spacing:0rem;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}What Spiritual Leaders Read Before Bed, Three Effective Stretches for Shoulder Pain, Five Blessings for When You Just Cant Deal, Break These Sleep Rules for Better Rest Tonight, This Unique Form of Therapy May Change Your Life, How I Found Community at a Fitness Studio. "And that has really been something that I think has given people a sense of comfort.". "Cambridge University says it is the best overall indicator of whether or not you have fresh air in that room or not.". Wunderman said coronavirus precautions fluctuated from destination to destination. With COVID-19s onrush, that hope was shunted to a political siding. "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said. And, for a moment, everything felt normal again. Amtrak will restore traditional dining car service on six western routes and the Auto Train on June 23. If you have a FOIA request, please clickhere. Amtrak, which serves more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces, also offers a unique class of service that might especially appeal to travelers in the COVID-19 era: private rooms. Each is said to boast a 4,400-horsepower diesel engine made by manufacturer Cummins in Indiana, which generates electricity that powers four electric motors to turn the drive wheels. Greater Portland METRO has installed high-tech purification systems onboard their new buses. Companies have also implemented rigorous cleaning procedures between flights. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Media members should contact the Media Relations Office for their region (see the map and listings here). Solo travel can be risky. The new cars could be put into service as soon as this spring, said Michael Frezell, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Transportation, which purchased the cars and owns much of the track Amtrak uses between Detroit and Chicago. Its the people in your immediate vicinity that you have to worry about. He acknowledges that the joys of long-distance train travel include being able to wander around, pick up snacks at the dining car, and stretch your legs.
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