Wednesday morning rail news:
— The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad will operate six days per week and only run one train per day during its 2020 season, instead of the usual two, with an emphasis on social distancing and other COVID-19 containment moves. Cumbres & Toltec President and General Manager John Bush told KOB-TV in Albuquerque, N.M., that the railroad plans to open June 13. It will take the temperature of passengers before they board and follow state regulations for wearing masks and gloves while on board. Plans are still subject to change based on regulations in Colorado and New Mexico. Visit the railroad’s website for more information.
— Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has vetoed a bill which would have expanded the state’s MARC commuter rail system south into Alexandria, Va., and studied an extension north from Perryville, Md., to Newark, Del. In a letter to the speaker of the state House of Delegates, Hogan cited revenue and budget shortfalls for the Maryland Department of Transportation and said the expansion “is not financially feasible or responsible at this time.” The website Greater Greater Washington reports that the bill’s sponsor, Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery, Md.) expressed hope the veto can be overridden, given that it passed unanimously in the state Senate and with 107 votes in the house, more than the three-fifths (or 85 votes) required in the 141-member house.
— A worker at a railway ticket office in London’s Victoria Station has died after being spat at by a man who said he had the COVID-19 virus, according to her union. Reuters reports the Transport Salaried Staffs Association reported that Belly Mujinga, 47, when a man assaulted her and a female colleague. Both women became ill within days and Mujinga, who had underlying respiratory issues, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator. She died April 5, 14 days after the assault. Police are investigating.
