Amtrak to suspend nonstop Acela trains between DC, NY amid coronavirus concerns

Amtrak announced Friday it would temporarily suspend its Acela Nonstop trains between Washington and New York beginning March 10 amid concerns about the coronavirus.

The company said in a statement that demand for direct routes between the cities has decreased and that nonstop service will be suspended through May 26.

“As we are experiencing some reduced demand for our service, we are making temporary adjustments to our schedule, such as removing train cars or cancelling trains when there is a convenient alternative with a similar schedule that will have minimal impact to customers,” Amtrak said in a statement.

The statement came as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Friday announced a fourth person in the state had tested “presumptive positive” for coronavirus.

More than 300 cases of coronavirus have been reported across more than two dozen states, including dozens of cases in the Northeast. Officials in Florida on Friday night announced the first deaths associated with the virus on the East Coast, bringing the total death toll to 17.

Amid concerns about coronavirus, Amtrak said Friday that it would remove change fees on reservations booked through April 30 and would increase the availability of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes at stations and on trains, among other efforts.