Is it safe to travel by train?
I’ve been hesitant to take a train during the pandemic because I have concerns about safety. I live in Philadelphia, which means that by the time I board, the train has already picked up new passengers at several other stops. What are rail companies likeAmtrak doing to adjust to COVID-19, and what can passengers do to stay healthywhile traveling?
— Ann
Dear Ann, Although recent studies fromEurope and Asia suggest that public transportation isn’t a major source of virus transmission, I understand where you’re coming from. Trains — enclosed, sometimes crowded spaces with strangers— feel moreworrisome than cars these days.
To answer the first part of your question: In order to keep employees and passengers safe and spur consumer confidence during a dip in ridership, rail companies, both regional systems aswell as Amtrak, are undertaking major coronavirus efforts.
“When the pandemic hit, Amtrak, like all transportation providers, was hit especially hard,” said Steven Predmore, Amtrak’s executive vice president and chief safety officer, in an emailed statement. “We took immediate action to protect the health and safety of our customers and employees and reduce capacity,” he added.
That “immediate action” by Amtrak and other train companies generally combines mandatorymasks, social distancing rules and signs, carryout-only dining and improved air filtration. It also tends to include some form of enhanced cleaning— usually amorning or evening deep clean paired with regular, en route cleaning of bathrooms and other highcontact areas on trains and in stations.
But you’re right: Transit companies are not thoroughly disinfecting every train at every station; nor are they disinfecting every seat or surface before every new rider climbs aboard.
Any expectation to the contrarywould be unrealistic, said Tanjala Purnell, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of PublicHealth. “It’s just like when you’re at the supermarket: Even when the best efforts are made to clean, as soon as we come inwe’re already doing damage to the hard work,” she said.“We cannot go in thinking, ‘They said that itwas cleaned and spotless, and nowhere I am.’ ”
Amtrak, however, is limiting passenger capacity to roughly 50% and has expanded cars and routes that have reserved seating (nowavailable on Acela business class, aswell as business class on the Vermonter and the Palmetto routes). The company is also publicly encouraging riders to do what most regulars have been “sneak doing” for eons anyway: place their bags on the
empty seat next to them in order to keep the space free.
This summer, the company promoted its Private Rooms, found in sleeping cars on some routes, through two-for-one deals.
“Our top priority is keeping our employees and customers safe andwe have been leading theway by delivering a new standard of travel,” Predmore said.
“We have studied, analyzed and made improvements to provide a safe travel experience.”
Amtrak has also partnered with health experts at GeorgeWashington University and germ-killing experts and microbiologists at RB, Lysol’s parent company, to strengthen its cleaning and disinfection protocols.
Other developments
have taken place in the technology sphere. Amtrak just added a “Capacity Indicator” to itswebsite and app, allowing customers to see, in real time, how full trains are. Those numbers, expressed as percentages, dynamically adjust as tickets are sold.
That brings us to the second part of your question: What’s a nervous rider to do?
Travelers with an average risk tolerance who are not compromised froma health standpoint can implement some easy measures on trains, Purnell said.
“The key is to go in preparing to use the same practices and protocols that youwoulduse even if you knew nothing about Amtrak’s new enhanced safety measures,” she said.
She said that means wearing face masks, wiping down armrests and other surfaces with disinfectant wipes, and handwashing (or using sanitizer) regularly during the journey.
Purnell also recommended using contact-free ticketing and check-in when it’s available, staying outside when possible (some train platforms can be reached without entering the station), steering clear of others while boarding, and traveling at offpeak hours.
“Even withoutCOVID, those are usually the times that aremore manageable anyway,” she said. “If you have flexibility, they’re an even stronger option now.”
As for where to sit: “There’s no perfect solution,” Purnell said. Crew members and passengers will come and go, and you’re guaranteed to be within 6 feet of someone outside your “quaranteam” at many points throughout the ride.
Depending on howthe car is configured, some might feel most comfortable at the end that doesn’t have a restroom. Thatway, anyone needing the bathroomwon’t have to pass you to get there.
And if you’re extraconcerned about people brushing against you as they traverse the aisle, go for the windowseat.
“Let’s also keep in mind that train operators are also putting themselves at risk to keep our transportation running efficiently,” Purnell said. “Sowhenwe’re thinking about doing these things, it’s not only to keep ourselves safe— it’s also to keep them safe.”