Even worse, on the popular route from Chicago to Detroit to Pontiac, on-time performance occurred just 33% of the time. Follow Sophie Bushwick on TwitterCredit: Nick Higgins, Tanya Lewis is a senior editor at Scientific American who covers health and medicine. Passenger train operator Amtrak claims to cycle air through cabins 44 times an hour. To maximize space between passengers and manage flow, Amtrak is encouraging customers to arrive 30 minutes before departure (60 minutes if they need ticketing or baggage assistance). "I think Maine is very well positioned," Quinn said. The APTA report suggested that commuters should reduce risk by wearing a mask and staying six feet apart and that train cars should be well ventilated. It has installed signs to encourage social distancing in high-traffic areas, such as the stations and cafe cars, where it has also put up plastic barriers at the customer counters. Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so. A representative is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide information regarding railroad operating matters. Something to consider when weighing the pros and cons of booking a private room they all come with free meals, including select soft drinks and your first alcoholic drink, plus you have the option of eating off the dining car menu or going with something more casual in the caf car. In fact, we have a full-time medical. They even had a decent selection of vegetarian and gluten-free options. Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada took major hits in the two years since COVID-19 pushed much of the world into lockdown mode. "MEASURE THE AIRDr. Many buses have HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) systems similar to those on subways and trains, with one additional factor: buses are more likely to have windows that open. We have new procedures that ask people to stay seated and listen for directions for on how to detrain, says Kuhnen. HE SAYS -- WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE AIR QUALITY OF THE SPACES WE'RE WALKING INTO. In fact, we have a full-time medical director and public health and safety team who have been on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. But those still wary of catching COVID-19 may wonder: Is taking a train safer? Its the ultimate transient experience: Almost as soon as you see something out the window, its gone, and then everything eventually fades to black. Some drivers have even installed a plastic shield between the front and back seats. (CG: PATRICIA QUINN, NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND PASSENGER RAIL AUTHORITY) 09:25 IT EXCHANGES SEVERAL TIMES AN HOUR. For the buses, ridership is down about 60% from pre-pandemic levels. 15 people were likely infected with COVID-19 in-flight, study modeled the risk of in-flight infection, novel coronavirus tore through New York City, asked several international transportation agencies, report by the American Public Transportation Association, Environmental Protection Agency recommends them, Sorry, UFO Hunters--You Might Just Be Looking at a Spy Balloon, AI Outraces Human Champs at the Video Game Gran Turismo, The Pandemic's Mental Toll, and Does Telehealth Work? Your Health Quickly, Episode 1, COVID Poses Severe Risks during Pregnancy, Especially in Unvaccinated People, Survivors of Deadly Earthquakes Must Deal with Lasting Trauma, A New Map Tracks the World's Largest Glaciers, The Most Compelling Science Graphics of 2022, See How Much Climate Change Has Cost Different Countries. We have no middle seats, so each passenger either is seated beside a companion or you have an empty seat next to you.. "And that has really been something that I think has given people a sense of comfort.". In the dining car people wouldnt wear a mask while they were actively eating, but it seemed like they would use eating just like on planes as an excuse to keep their mask off.. "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.". If you have a FOIA request, please clickhere. In fact, Dr. Arnot said he thought the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused too much early in the coronavirus pandemic response on cleaning surfaces (including the 19% of Americans who put bleach on their food to kill coronavirus) and not enough on lowering transmission through good ventilation for indoor spaces. 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. Feb 28, 2023 (CDN Newswire via Comtex) -- The Global Ventilation Devices Market study has been announced by MarketQuest.biz for 2023-2029. With tourism expected to rebound, officials hope to get back to about 60% of pre-pandemic ridership by mid-summer. These face visors not only offer some added protection, says Lofgren, but they also make it easier to eat, drink, and communicate with other passengers.). ", Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. By the time I reached the dining car, I was relieved to see that Sandy, the dining room attendant, was masked and wiping down tables. 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. Sophie Bushwick is an associate editor covering technology at Scientific American. The APTA report notes that on most systems subway cars and buses, new air replaces stale air almost 18 times an hour. That, this summer -- and even heading into colder months -- may be the key, according to Dr. Arnot: "Fundamentally you've got to have clean outdoor air, indoors and where could you possibly have better air than the state of Maine.". All of those situations increase your risk of coming into contact with the virus and picking it up. But if a person with the virus is wearing a mask, the face covering will catch those droplets. Every other table had a sign on it, instructing passengers to leave the booth empty in order to maintain social distancing. She said she was impressed with Amtraks COVID-19 precautions. Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. "Cambridge University says it is the best overall indicator of whether or not you have fresh air in that room or not.". The great newsfrom an epidemiological, safety, and comfort standpointis that Amtrak is limiting bookings on reserved trains, which will allow for more physical distancing in seating areas. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. Airline seating is much more confined than the seating on Amtrak cars, Silverman said. Una buena ventilacin, . Walking through the rows of roomettes, it appeared that people were taking advantage of a loophole in the mask rule they were maskless while in their rooms as required, but their doors were wide open. Amtrak put out a video highlighting its air filtration system, citing numbers that it cycles air through the train cars on average 44 times an hour, replacing with fresh air about every 5 minutes. Public transit systems have also been focusing on the ventilation component. (DR BOB ZOOM) 18:02 FUNDAMENTALLY YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE CLEAN OUTDOOR AIR, INDOORS. Those with medical conditions who cannot wear masks must wear a face shield as a substitute. Wunderman said coronavirus precautions fluctuated from destination to destination. Hi, there, she said before getting surprisingly excited. Before the pandemic, many people would not think twice about ordering a ride-share car or hailing a taxi. Amtrak is issuing travel guidelines that aim to reassure customers that several added cleanliness and convenience measures have been implemented on their trains as the country begins to reopen during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "Two of our new buses have an air purification, a U.V. 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 . If a window is able to be opened, that always helps getting droplets to disperse very quickly, making it very unlikely that they will make it to another person in enough of a concentration to transmit infection, especially if masking is enforced, he said. Amtrak doesnt directly make that claim on its website. Over the past few months, Ive taken four trains over three Amtrak routes, Wunderman told me. Monitoring carbon dioxide levels, getting more fresh outdoor air in spaces key. "With the sort of substandard masks most of us wear, if you don't have good ventilation, I just think you don't have a chance.". As I approached the platform outside the sleeping car, I flashed my paperwork to a welcoming employee who managed to flash back a big smile, even with her face hidden behind a mask. I felt pretty confident that Amtrak was on top of their pandemic protocols, a collection of new and enhanced cleaning and health safety measures that they developed with their full-time medical and health safety team who has experience on the frontlines of COVID-19. The curtain of my cabin was closed, and not wanting me to miss the view, Linda hopped on our cars intercom to make an announcement. So Flynn also asked Congress to give Amtrak the right to sue freight rail operations in federal court, so we can ensure our customers are not unnecessarily delayed by freight trains, and arrive on time.. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. "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 a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. In other words, unless I chose to, I wouldnt have to interact or share space with any other passengers on my 30-hour journey from Portland to Los Angeles. Since my journey seemed to vary from what I had read about other pandemic Amtrak experiences, I decided to reach out to travel writer Ali Wunderman, who had journeyed overnight on Amtraks Empire Builder train, which runs from Chicago to Portland, Oregon. AND WHERE COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BETTER AIR THAN THE STATE OF MAINE -- YOU OUGHT TO BE SELLING IT (LAUGHS) 18:13 (BOTTARI LL TAG) WHILE I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH MAINE AIR WOULD SELL FOR, I DO KNOW, THOSE CO2 METERS COST ABOUT 100 DOLLARS FOR A HANDHELD ONE. One such investigation of a 10-hour journey from London to Hanoi starting on March 1 found that 15 people were likely infected with COVID-19 in-flightand that 12 of them had sat within a couple of rows of a single symptomatic passenger in business class. When that happens, Amtrak could reach its potential to consistently outshine the experience of driving a car from Detroit to Chicago with lower costs, less time and more convenience not to mention no fear of getting a dreaded three-figure parking ticket in Chicagoland. 7 In March 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorizations to several manufacturers for helmet use in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure from COVID-19. Discover world-changing science. People refers to how many different people will you be coming in contact with. And read coverage from our international network of magazines here. Widespread mask use is key, says Lofgren. Upon reaching out to Amtrak, a spokesperson for the company said, "The health and safety of our riders and crew continues to be our number one priority. 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. Solo passengers can use the empty seats next to them for personal belongings. METRO has partnered with the University of Southern Maine to carry out the tests on those devices. The company requires customers over 2 years old and employees to wear face coverings while onboard and in stations unless they are actively eating or drinking or in their own private room with the door closed. Passengers traveling by Amtrak also must submit a health questionnaire, answering questions such as whether they have experienced COVID-19 symptoms within 24 hours of departure. More information: Michael John Patton et al, COVID-19 bacteremic co-infection is a major risk factor for mortality, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation, Critical Care (2023). These include things like cleaning every seat, private room, baggage rack, bathroom, button, caf car, dining car, and other publicly shared spaces with an EPA-registered disinfectant before the train leaves not to mention continuing to spray and wipe down all major touchpoints, including bathrooms, every couple of hours. 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. 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. So far on the journey, Id soaked in the wooded landscape of the Pacific Northwest, gluing myself to the window as we snaked through trees already painted with golden yellows, bright oranges, and fiery reds. Phone calls are preferred if the request is urgent. Those improvements allowed all Amtrak trains in that stretch to bump up their speeds. Al mejorar la ventilacin puede reducir las partculas de virus dentro de su casa y evitar la propagacin del COVID-19. Passenger train operator Amtrak claims to cycle air through cabins 44 times an hour. When the train is approaching your stop, avoid crowding near the door and pay attention to crew announcements advising customers how and where to exit the train. Theres no doubt about that., Tips: Safe holiday travel | Coronavirus testing | Sanitizing your hotel | Using Uber and Airbnb, Flying: Pandemic packing | Airport protocol | Staying healthy on plane | Fly or drive | Best days to fly, Road trips: Tips | Rental cars | Best snacks | Long-haul trains | Foliage finder | Art road trips, Camping: First-time | Camping alone | Meal planning | Glamping | National parks, Places: Hawaii | Machu Picchu | New York | Private islands | Caribbean | Mexico | Europe. Running on normal schedules are Amtraks other Michigan trains the Blue Water service that links Chicago to Battle Creek, Lansing, Flint and Port Huron; and the Pere Marquette between Chicago and Grand Rapids. I also realized that absolutely none of the windows on the train were open, and frequent reminders over the intercom made it clear that passengers were not to attempt to open them. We reached my room and I was immediately impressed. 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