I wouldn't fly now either. But Amtrak lacks the ability to connect major air hubsin the east like Chicago, Atlanta, NYC, Columbus, Charlotte, etc with any credible service.
charlie hebdoPassenger trains connect to very few places easily outside the few corridors and one is confined in it with potential carriers for hours. Airplanes can fly to far more cities with a much shorter exposure time.
But in airplanes at present, you have exposure to many more people on the plane as opposed to the train - Wide Body planes hold nearly 300 people on a single 'passenger area', whereas on a train a full coach will only hold 60 or 70 people in a common passenger area.
Does the virus have a time component in its transmission when people are confined area under less than 'personal distance' circumstance?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
My family will help me out with a sleeper to get me home and my plan is to block all vents with wet paper...
Passenger trains connect to very few places easily outside the few corridors and one is confined in it with potential carriers for hours. Airplanes can fly to far more cities with a much shorter exposure time.
charlie hebdoAn LD train running 24-40+ hours is a moving petri dish.
Perhaps much, much more critically, it is a potential mobile infection source. I would specifically mention the demonstrated problems with spread of the 1918 H1N1 variant from trains or other vehicles, often into smaller communities with inadequate medical or medical-transport resources. Over and over on these forums we have seen justifications of LD service as providing essential service for many small communities that would otherwise lack access; while social distancing may help such communities for a while, the economic consequences alone may wreck their ultimate viability, while any outbreak might well progress to "Italian" levels should it get into a susceptible pool.
Conversely, if maintaining social separation during travel is essential (and I think it is wise to proceed on that assumption where possible) there is little better resource than a train -- particularly if strict hygiene and perhaps effective PPE is provided, reasonably good sterilization/sanitation is conducted proactively, and careful measures to limit viral spread are used. It is inconceivable to me that this could be done on a bus, let alone on paratransit-size vehicles, and for operational reasons alone may not be too practical on modern aircraft. It's also unfortunate that it can't be done on most smaller (and more 'bus-like') 'alternatives' to full-size rail vehicles, which are not set up and can't really be modified to provide effective isolation from 'cold-style disease propagation' even with reasonably good PPE in use. So it would make little sense to run an abbreviated version of LD trains, perhaps only the number of coaches conveniently pulled by a maintenance-monitored single Genesis unit, that would be the naive person's alternative to a full LD train serving the isolated destination pairs we claim are relevant to maintaining service integrity.
I can not drive due to a disablity...if you think Amtrak is a moving petri dish try Da Do Dog aka Greyhound on any long distance route
"The airline publications are beginnning to believe that almost all non government owned airlines will be in bankruptcy by the end of May" Good time to bring back the trains.
In a national emergency, all "requirements" are potentially suspended. An LD train running 24-40+ hours is a moving petri dish. And it is hardly essential transportation.
You're right about Chicago-Milwaukee. Three round trips were scheduled in addition to the "Empire Builder" on May 1, 1971.
I think everyone is going to be surprised here. First Amtrak is mandated legally to maintain a National Service and since it hemmorages money there already the cost of continuing operations of the National Network is far less than running empty state corridor trains. So I think your going to see a reverse of what is expected.
Most of the National LD trains will remain and the state corridor trains will be cut way back. You can see that once again Amtrak is relying on the legally mandated National Trains to also preserve corridor service as much as possible by retaining the LD train on each corridor as a corridor frequency.
Cutback in the Hiawatha service is unprecendented. That corridor has never had only one train per day in each direction to my knowledge.
There will be far less flights offered after April 1st. Until then most airlines are continuing offfering reduced fares to get what passengers they can. I know SW is offering really reduced air fares right now and I assume the others are also. They will not actually go into bankruptcy as the Feds will provide them with financial help similar to what other affected industries will receive. However, I don't see Amtrak getting that much help so it's LD service will be a long time recovering-if ever.
charlie hebdoAnd most responsible individuals are postponing elective travel plans.
Actually, unnecessary domestic travel is now forbidden for Active Duty Army. Feel bad for those that can no longer visit family and/or friends on military leave.
I have been told by my employer they will not allow travel unless it is absolutely necessary, so my trips back to HQ every 5 weeks are suspended now. Thankfully I work for an employer that will never lay me off so I don't have to worry about job security like others do......that adds a whole new stress level to this virus outbreak.
Trying to use local restaurant carryout via door dash as much as I can to support local employers and their skeleton staffs stay employed.
And most responsible individuals are postponing elective travel plans.
This poster has come to the conclusion that Amtrak is going to be hurt for a long time. Several medical persons are of the opinion that this epidemic will last 12 - 18 months. Infections will not peak for about 45 days .
Unless there is a directed service order from the government I suspect that Amtrak will shortly shut down all but minimal NEC and maybe 2 - 4 LD routes. The airline publications are beginnning to believe that almost all non government owned airlines will be in bankruptcy by the end of May. The 737MAX fiasco will probably lenghten what otherwise would happen sooner. Airlines are going to default on their cash reserves requirements for various debt that they have. Boeing and Airbus ?
divebardaveThis might be a good time for my long distance train one way and plane trip back the other way.
Except what's likely is that they'll cancel the sleepers and flights if they stop filling them at logical price. Or anyway, just out of 'precaution' on the part of necessary service providers...
This might be a good time for my long distance train one way and plane trip back the other way.
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