WASHINGTON – Railroads have not been immune to the skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. as the more contagious Omicron variant spreads nationwide.
The number of railroad employees infected with COVID-19 reached its highest point of the pandemic in the week ending Jan. 1, according to Federal Railroad Administration data released on Friday. The previous high was recorded in the week ending Jan. 9, 2021.
Overall, 2,171 railroad employees had contracted COVID-19 in the week ending Jan. 1, while 2,551 were quarantined after being exposed to the virus. Some 824 railroaders tested positive at Class I railroads in the East, along with 746 in the West, 205 at Amtrak, 313 at commuter railroads, and 83 people at short lines and regionals.
Quarantine levels remained below the pandemic peak recorded in the week ending Nov. 21, 2020, which has helped lessen the impact on employee availability industrywide, the FRA data show.
But the total number of infections and quarantines in the rail industry jumped 47% in the week ending Jan. 1 and is up 74% since the week ending Dec. 18.
Those railroad numbers are likely to climb: In the two-week period ending Jan. 6, new COVID-19 cases rose 227% nationwide.
The rising infection and quarantine rates come as Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation already face shortages of train crews in some locations.
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