Covid-19: Sound Transit reduces Sounder South services

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US public transit agency Sound Transit has decided to suspend one roundtrip service on Sounder South from 8 April due to decreased staff available.

The move was also implemented after it saw a decrease of 92% in ridership due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Sound Transit also announced service reductions for Link and ST Express buses last week.

Sound Transit stated that the scheduled trips could be impacted and further reductions could also be implemented in the future.

With the reduction, there will be seven round trips on the Sounder South weekday service. The Sounder North weekday service will continue to operate two round trips from the usual four round trips.

Sound Transit stated: “Sound Transit remains committed to working closely with its partners to continue serving the public.

“Efforts will continue to prioritise serving riders who depend on Sound Transit’s services, including seniors, people with disabilities, Title VI protected populations (race, colour, national origin), low-income and limited-English-proficiency populations.

“To the greatest extent possible, we will continue to run trains and buses at our earliest and latest normal weekday hours. At this time normal service will continue on Tacoma Link.”

In a bid to support its transit employees and riders to follow social distancing, Sound Transit has suspended the fare requirements for buses and trains.

Last month, Sound Transit decided to suspend some of its services on the Link light rail and Sounder trains, along with the King County Metro operated ST Express bus routes.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in the US also announced that that it will suspend the extra services on the Yellow Line from 19 March.