Commuter rail news in brief for July 6:
Toronto area transit agency Metrolinx will introduce clear plastic dividers between seats on some GO Transit trains this week, expanding a pilot program that has placed similar dividers on 30 GO Transit buses. Five trains are scheduled to be equipped with the dividers. Also, new signage is being added to trains creating one-way traffic through railcars, with separate entry and exit doors to limit the amount of face-to-face contact between passengers. In a press release, the agency says, “Like any pilot project, Metrolinx will evaluate all parts of this trial, including customer satisfaction, to determine if the transit agency will move forward with installing the dividers, directional errors and door decals on all GO vehicles.”
Metrolink launches ‘How Full Is My Train?’ tool
Southern California commuter railroad Metrolink has launched a “How Full Is My Train?” online tool to allow passengers to check recent ridership levels of trains to confirm they will be able to maintain safe distancing onboard. It is not a real-time ridership tool, but indicates average ridership of prior trains. The information is available at this page on the Metrolink website.
Nashville commuter line to introduce new commuter cars
Nashville’s WeGo Star commuter line, formerly known as the Music City Star, is preparing to debut a new set of passenger cars later this month. The Nashville Tennessean reports the former Metra stainless steel cars were refurbished in Michigan, and is part of equipment upgrades that also includes refurbishment of the agency’s four ex-Amtrak F40PH locomotives. The first of the four rebuilds is complete.
