Corona virus impacts on Amtrak

All service to Canada(Cascades,Maple leaf,and Adirondack) is suspended all other corridor services are getting cuts No Changes to LD services yet,
Denver-Winter Park service finshed for the season
Any attempt to reach the pdf file is directed to 03/16/20 6:30 pm edt statement

Mr Lynn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:24 pm My wife and I were thinking of taking the NEC from Boston to Richmond, using our Rewards points, in early April, before all this COVID-19 stuff broke. Amtrak coaches have more fresh-air circulation than airplanes, I would think, but we decided it would be better to drive than share a coach. So that's our plan now, but with all heck breaking lose I'm wondering if by then we'll even find gas stations and motels open. /LEJ

Gas should be fine, with as many self-service pumps as there are, but I’d be wary about hotels.

Gas stations have been exempted from all of the shutdowns I've seen. It's an essential service.

Motels? I'd trust the higher end hotels, but not those $39 "We'll leave the blacklight on for ya" chains where they might or might not change out the sheets.

As a frequent traveler I have a $80 floor for hotels in North America, and prefer $100-120 as my floor. I have spent some rough nights in places between $45 and 70. For some reason in the EU it seems they have perfectly nice hotels for $50-80, the same caliber as our $90-120/night. Not sure what they do different.

Nobody is going anywhere. Gas isn't being hoarded like it's a hurricane.

Mr Lynn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:24 pm My wife and I were thinking of taking the NEC from Boston to Richmond, using our Rewards points, in early April, before all this COVID-19 stuff broke. Amtrak coaches have more fresh-air circulation than airplanes, I would think, but we decided it would be better to drive than share a coach. So that's our plan now, but with all heck breaking lose I'm wondering if by then we'll even find gas stations and motels open. /LEJ

Modern commercial airliners completely replace passenger cabin air with outside air every 2 to 3 minutes. Amtrak equipment primarily recirculates interior air, with replacement with outside air far less frequently than airliners. Aircraft, if crowded, have more dense passenger seating which increases risk. Time of exposure to passengers is obviously far less in an airliner versus a train covering the same distance. Since airline passengers tend to move about the aircraft far less often than train passengers, and especially so given the number of station stops enroute, there is that difference in risk of exposure. So both modes of transportation have advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific facts and circumstances of the journey.

Hand out Clorox wipes to all passengers, limit one passenger per row of seating.

knope2001 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:23 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:45 pm Trying to pull together a theoretical while stuck at home... and now I don't have any schedules up on Amtrak to refer off of. They've yanked them all down and pushed up the notice, replacing the PDFs.

Anyone got a NEC schedule before the change?

This will get you to the PDF schedules, at least for now...

https://www.amtrak.com/schedules

EDIT the PDF links still redirect to the alert page. I'll see if I can figure out the link to the PDF's

No surprise there. Amtrak's web site has low functionality even in the best of times.

WashingtonPark wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:16 pm

knope2001 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:23 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:45 pm Trying to pull together a theoretical while stuck at home... and now I don't have any schedules up on Amtrak to refer off of. They've yanked them all down and pushed up the notice, replacing the PDFs.

Anyone got a NEC schedule before the change?

This will get you to the PDF schedules, at least for now...

https://www.amtrak.com/schedules

EDIT the PDF links still redirect to the alert page. I'll see if I can figure out the link to the PDF's

No surprise there. Amtrak's web site has low functionality even in the best of times.

You're being too kind. Amtrak's website is the most difficult to figure out of any transportation mode I have encountered. And I still don't understand why thy can't or won't publish a PDF National Timetable. I guess it would make it too easy to plan a rail trip.

Ken W2KB wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:07 am

Mr Lynn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:24 pm My wife and I were thinking of taking the NEC from Boston to Richmond, using our Rewards points, in early April, before all this COVID-19 stuff broke. Amtrak coaches have more fresh-air circulation than airplanes, I would think, but we decided it would be better to drive than share a coach. So that's our plan now, but with all heck breaking lose I'm wondering if by then we'll even find gas stations and motels open. /LEJ

Modern commercial airliners completely replace passenger cabin air with outside air every 2 to 3 minutes. Amtrak equipment primarily recirculates interior air, with replacement with outside air far less frequently than airliners. Aircraft, if crowded, have more dense passenger seating which increases risk. Time of exposure to passengers is obviously far less in an airliner versus a train covering the same distance. Since airline passengers tend to move about the aircraft far less often than train passengers, and especially so given the number of station stops enroute, there is that difference in risk of exposure. So both modes of transportation have advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific facts and circumstances of the journey.

The way trains circulate air is similar to most large buildings with ventilation.

lordsigma12345 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:27 pm

Ken W2KB wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:07 am

Mr Lynn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:24 pm My wife and I were thinking of taking the NEC from Boston to Richmond, using our Rewards points, in early April, before all this COVID-19 stuff broke. Amtrak coaches have more fresh-air circulation than airplanes, I would think, but we decided it would be better to drive than share a coach. So that's our plan now, but with all heck breaking lose I'm wondering if by then we'll even find gas stations and motels open. /LEJ

Modern commercial airliners completely replace passenger cabin air with outside air every 2 to 3 minutes. Amtrak equipment primarily recirculates interior air, with replacement with outside air far less frequently than airliners. Aircraft, if crowded, have more dense passenger seating which increases risk. Time of exposure to passengers is obviously far less in an airliner versus a train covering the same distance. Since airline passengers tend to move about the aircraft far less often than train passengers, and especially so given the number of station stops enroute, there is that difference in risk of exposure. So both modes of transportation have advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific facts and circumstances of the journey.

The way trains circulate air is similar to most large buildings with ventilation.

Could be. Large building air circulation systems typically are designed for a complete exchange in about 10 to 12 minutes versus the 2 to 3 minutes in commercial airliners.

Keystone suspended effective today March 18. Pennsylvanian suspended effective tomorrow March 19.

Ken W2KB wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:09 pm

lordsigma12345 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:27 pm

Ken W2KB wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:07 am

Mr Lynn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:24 pm My wife and I were thinking of taking the NEC from Boston to Richmond, using our Rewards points, in early April, before all this COVID-19 stuff broke. Amtrak coaches have more fresh-air circulation than airplanes, I would think, but we decided it would be better to drive than share a coach. So that's our plan now, but with all heck breaking lose I'm wondering if by then we'll even find gas stations and motels open. /LEJ

Modern commercial airliners completely replace passenger cabin air with outside air every 2 to 3 minutes. Amtrak equipment primarily recirculates interior air, with replacement with outside air far less frequently than airliners. Aircraft, if crowded, have more dense passenger seating which increases risk. Time of exposure to passengers is obviously far less in an airliner versus a train covering the same distance. Since airline passengers tend to move about the aircraft far less often than train passengers, and especially so given the number of station stops enroute, there is that difference in risk of exposure. So both modes of transportation have advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific facts and circumstances of the journey.

The way trains circulate air is similar to most large buildings with ventilation.

Could be. Large building air circulation systems typically are designed for a complete exchange in about 10 to 12 minutes versus the 2 to 3 minutes in commercial airliners.

Though it depends greatly on the specific application. On large air handlers that are responsible for heating, cooling, and ventilation recirculate air mostly and take in (and exhaust) a specific amount required by code. Many of those systems can bring in additional outside air for free cooling at middle ground temperatures outside between heating and cooling season (often up to 100% fresh and and 100% exhaust) by moving dampers. Typically when you get into higher temperatures when mechanical cooling is required you go back to only the amount of fresh air needed by code. Other systems will have 100% fresh air with heat recovery from the exhaust air. Typically In these cases said unit is responsible for ventilation only and heating and cooling is by other small units spread through the building. Depends on the building and configuration.

Assuming that these fares are a reaction to COVID19:


For a limited time, select spring and summer travel on Amtrak is on sale. Book March 17 – 19, 2020 to save up to 40% on travel April 4 – September 30, 2020.
Simply click through this email and book your trip on Amtrak.com to apply the discount.
No change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020.
Sample fares include:
Travel Acela® Between: Fares:
New York and Philadelphia $69
New York and Boston $79
Philadelphia and Washington, DC $79
New York and Washington, DC $110
Travel Auto Train® Between: Fare:
Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL $69
Or Travel Between: Fares:
Richmond and Washington, DC $19
New York and Philadelphia $29
Philadelphia and Washington, DC $37
New York and Boston $49
New York and Washington, DC $49
Washington, DC and Chicago $63
Los Angeles and Seattle $76
Denver and San Francisco $89
New York and Miami $97
New York and New Orleans $104
Chicago and Los Angeles $109

boy if I had recovered from the virus would definitely take several trips.