Coronavirus: Amtrak Reducing Train Service, Cutting Food Service

Seattle, WA — Amtrak Cascades says the recent coronavirus outbreak has lead to a severe drop in train riders. As a result, they're cutting down on their daily trips and on the services provided aboard their trains.

Beginning Thursday, Amtrak Cascades will be down to just two daily round trips between Portland and Seattle. The trains will continue to make every regular stop along their normal route, but in Olympia and Kelso, only the platforms will be open as the stations have been completely closed down.

Amtrak says on a normal day, their cascade trains can carry between 2,300 and 3,600 passengers to and from their destinations, but since the outbreak ridership has been down to less than 300 passengers per day. To compensate, Amtrak canceled the Seattle-Portland evening trains on March 21, and now are suspending two more trains. After the suspension, only trains 500, 501, 504 and 505 will remain in service. Tickets for those trains are still being sold on their website.

Amtrak's long-distance train, the Coast Starlight, will also continue to do a daily trip connecting Seattle, Portland and Eugene.

In Oregon, all other trains have been canceled except for one daily round trip between Eugene and Portland. Trains heading north to Canada from Seattle were also canceled by Canadian officials on March 17.

Passengers riding the remaining trains will see some changes aboard the vessel. Amtrak says they're suspending the normal onboard food and beverage services for the duration of the outbreak. Passengers are instead invited to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks aboard for the trip.

Amtrak says, despite the deep cutbacks, it is unlikely that they will ever completely suspend all train service. The Department of Homeland Security has designated the railway as a "critical infrastructure asset," so trains will still run even if ridership dwindles further. Amtrak also says they're doing everything in their power to keep trains safe during the outbreak, including frequent deep-cleaning and seating passengers far apart to practice social distancing.

Amtrak's move follows recent changes by Sound Transit to reduce services of the Sounder train and Link light rail.