Coronavirus upends ACE rail between Stockton and San Jose. What riders need to know
The coronavirus has forced the Altamont Corridor Express to cut the number of trains between Stockton and San Jose.
ACE has ended the Saturday service introduced last September and will reduce the number and length of weekday trains starting Monday, March 23.
The service has lost about 85 percent of its riders because of orders that people avoid nonessential travel to help contain the COVID-19 virus. ACE’s main ridership is commuters to jobs in Alameda and Santa Clara counties.
ACE has been running four weekday round trips with stations in Stockton, Manteca/Lathrop, Tracy, Livermore, Pleasanton, Fremont, Santa Clara and San Jose. Trains head west in the morning and east in the late afternoon and evening.
The virus forced cancellation of the latest morning train, which has left Stockton at 7:05 a.m. and arrived in San Jose at 9:17 a.m, and the latest return train, departing San Jose at 6:38 p.m. and reaching Stockton at 8:50 p.m.
ACE has not indicated how long the reduction will last. More information is at www.acerail.com.
The service also is reducing the number of passenger cars in each train while still providing the “social distancing” between riders that could help keep the virus from spreading. And ACE is ramping up its daily cleaning of the cars and assuring that the restrooms are stocked with hand sanitizer.
ACE is still planning branches over the next few years to Stanislaus, Merced and Sacramento counties.
This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
