"An essential service": Amtrak, Greyhound continue routes despite coronavirus cases

As the coronavirus rapidly spreads throughout the United States, major transportation companies such as Amtrak and Greyhound are faced with keeping their employees and passengers safe while still providing what officials say is a critical service for many Americans. 

Both Amtrak and Greyhound say they are continuing operations with reduced routes despite reports of workers and passengers who have contracted COVID-19.

Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said Tuesday that 15 employees have tested positive for coronavirus. 

This comes as the intercity bus company slashes routes to many locations including service from New York and Philadelphia to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Booker said Greyhound is operating at 35% of its normal capacity. 

Amtrak has cut nearly 50% of its routes including its flagship Acela Express trains in the Northeast.

Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds declined to provide the total number of Amtrak workers who have been infected with coronavirus. 

However, one Amtrak employee's positive coronavirus diagnosis led to the temporary suspension of a train service from between Denver and Reno, Nevada last month. Amtrak officials say employees on that route self-quarantined after the case was reported which resulted in insufficient staffing. 

The need for guidance

Despite the safety concerns, transportation officials say shutting down mass transit would paralyze millions of Americans, including medical personnel, emergency responders and grocery store workers, who may not have cars.  

In 2016, an estimated 8.7 percent of U.S. households were without vehicles, according to research by Governing: The Future of States and Localities. 

Still, one expert said the federal government has failed to provide guidance to major transit operators who are challenged with maintaining safety while providing an essential service. 

“I think it would certainly help," said Paul Lewis, vice president of policy and finance for the Eno Center for Transportation. "For something of that magnitude it needs to come from a national directive rather than this piecemeal approach.”

Lewis noted that unlike airlines— which are required to continue serving every domestic destination if they receive federal coronavirus aid — companies like Amtrak and Greyhound are making independent decisions about service. 

"There's so many different opinions and there is a lot of pressure on these companies to do one thing or the other," Lewis said.  

Meanwhile, the federal government has not mandated any domestic travel restrictions, only advising Americans not to travel abroad.

The governors of at least 40 states have issued stay-at-home orders. And more than a dozen are discouraging interstate travel by announcing quarantine requirements for travelers or people who live there who are traveling home from other states. 

A 'vital transportation service'

Leeds says engineers, conductors, on board service crews and other staff members are critical to their daily operations. 

Many essential workers, including first responders and medical personnel, depend on Amtrak for transportation, Leeds said. 

"We provide a vital transportation service for the public, so while we have fewer customers, the people who are riding Amtrak now really need us to get to where they need to be," Leeds said.  "Additionally, we maintain the infrastructure for our commuter partners so they can continue to deliver an essential service."

Leeds said the company has been taking "extra steps" to sanitize its trains and stations and Amtrak is limiting train ticket sales to ensure that passengers can practice social distancing. Amtrak has also gone cashless and is waiving change fees on existing and new reservations made before May 31, extending by a month its waiver that was previously put in place. 

"The safety of our employees and our passengers is always our top priority," Leeds said. 

Greyhound has taken similar measures, saying in a statement that it has "implemented heightened sanitation procedures on our buses and in our terminals."

Booker said Greyhound is providing drivers with kits that include personal protection equipment such as hand sanitizer and gloves. The bus company is "working towards" making masks available to employees, she added. 

Greyhound has also switched to a touchless ticket scanning process, Booker said. And every bus has a driver's shield that separates drivers from passengers. 

Employees that are experiencing coronavirus symptoms or have come in contact with an infected person are asked to stay home for 14 days, Booker said. 

"With community spread being witnessed throughout the country, like many other businesses, some impacted employees within that group have reported coming in contact with infected individuals outside of work," Booker said.  

Greyhound is also urging travelers to reschedule their trip if they feel sick to ensure the safety of others. The company is also waiving change fees or offering eVouchers for tickets. 

Last month, a man who rode a Greyhound bus from New York City to Rochester, N.Y. tested positive for coronavirus. The man, who lived in Rochester, had contracted the virus during a recent trip to Italy.

Booker said Greyhound worked with local health officials to locate passengers on the bus who may have been impacted. 

"The bus was removed from service and fully sanitized," Booker said. "In addition to these safety measures, employees who came in contact with the customer were required to self-quarantine."  

Lewis said with a significant decline in ridership, Amtrak, Greyhound and other transit companies may not be able to sustain the reduced operations for long. 

A survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Association found that only 25% of travelers are likely to take an overnight business trip by train in the next six months, and just 19% are likely to take a train trip for leisure.  

“From a financial standpoint, it’s not sustainable," Lewis said. "I don’t think it's going to be a quick and speedy recovery."

Contributing: Curtis Tate of USA TODAY and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle