CVSR Ends Mask Mandate for Passengers

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad said on Tuesday that it will no longer require passengers to wear facial masks about trains or at CVSR stations.

The tourist railroad cited a decision by the Transportation Security Administration to no longer enforce the mask mandate, which has been in effect for more than a year for all forms of public transportation.

TSA acted after a federal judge in Florida struck down the mask rule.

In a related development, Akron Metro RTA said it no longer requires passengers to wear masks while riding buses or while inside the agency’s transit hubs.

Officials at Akron-Canton and Cleveland Hopkins airports also said wearing of masks is no longer mandatory while inside the airport terminal. Most airlines also have made mask wearing aboard planes optional.

Greater Cleveland RTA had not announced its mask policy on either its website or Facebook page as of early Tuesday afternoon.

Amtrak Drops Face Mask Requirement

Amtrak has dropped its facial mask requirement for passengers and employees.

The passenger carrier acted after a federal judge in Florida set aside the mask mandate that had applied to all modes of public transportation.

The Biden administration said following the ruling by Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle that it would not enforce the mask mandate and was still considering whether to appeal the judge’s decision.

An Amtrak official said passengers and employees can still choose to wear a facial mask.

The mask mandate dates to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 and later became a federal rule that has been extended several times.

USA Today reported that many airlines, including United, Southwest, Delta and American, also have dropped the facial mask rule.

The federal facial mask mandate had been set to expire on Monday but the Centers for Disease Control wanted it extended through May 3 to provide more time to study the BA2 omicron variant of COVID-19.

The Florida judge ruled that extending the mask mandate exceeded the CDC’s authority and the federal agency failed to justify the order or follow proper rule making procedures.

Mask Rule Extended Until April 18

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will require facial masks to continue to be worn aboard public transportation conveyances through April 18.

The agency hinted that the mask requirement, which applies to passengers aboard airplanes, trains and buses, might be lifted sometime this spring.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with various government agencies on a revised policy framework for the lifting of face mask mandates.

The mask mandate had been set to expire on March 18 after having been extended twice before.

FRA Orders Train Crews to Wear Face Masks

Starting Monday, train crews in the United States will be required to wear face masks.

The Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order effective March 1 that it said will comply with an order aboard forms of transportation as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to an executive order by President Joseph Biden.

In a statement, the FRA said it acted after its inspectors observed inconsistent use of masks among rail personnel, and inconsistent rules among railroads regarding mask use in a locomotive cab and other rail facilities.

The order directs individual railroads to establish procedures for those who do not comply with the mask requirement.

At a minimum, the FRA said, those procedures should include removing the individual from performing his or her duties and removing the person from the facility as soon as possible.

Railroad workers not complying with the FRA directive will also be subject to FRA enforcement actions while their employer will be subject to a penalty of up to $118,826 per day with personnel also subject to civil penalties.

CDC Mandates Mask Use on Public Transportation

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an order requiring mask use for all domestic travel on public transportation.

The order applies to passengers aboard trains, planes and buses and is also applicable inside of stations, airports and bus terminals.

Transportation providers are directed by the order to use their “best efforts” to ensure mask use, including removal of passengers who refuse to comply.

Enforcement of the order will be handled by the Transportation Security Administration and other federal authorities working as needed with state and local agencies.

The CDC mandate comes after President Joseph Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 21 requiring mask use while traveling on public transportation systems.

The agency said the purpose of the order is to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Transportation Face Mask Mandate Issued

President Joseph Biden has signed an executive order mandating use of facial coverings on trains, public transit, planes, intercity buses and in airports.

Most carriers had already implemented their own mask requirements but the order will now have the force of federal law.

Biden’s order requires federal agencies to “immediately take action” to require passengers to wear masks, although details of when it will take effect and enforcement have yet to be determined.