Metra Train Conductor Tests Positive For Coronavirus
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Metra train conductor has tested positive for the coronavirus, the rail agency said Wednesday.
The conductor was assigned to the SouthWest Service Line, which runs from Union Station southwest to the Will County community of Manhattan.
The conductor has been home since feeling ill on Wednesday, March 25, and other employees who had direct contact with the conductor have been self-isolating since then.
All cars currently in use on the line have been disinfected, Metra said.
Three other Metra employees – all of them field workers who did not have contact with the riding public – were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, Metra said. Those employees have not been at work since Friday, March 20.
Their work facility and vehicles have also been disinfected.
"The safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect them while still maintaining service for those who need it," said Metra Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.
Metra noted that it is cleaning cars every day with a focus on high-touch areas, and has been able to do more deep cleaning with fewer cars in use due to a reduced schedule.
Metra stations are also cleaned multiple times a week, also with a focus on high-touch surfaces.