#Amtrak will ban passengers who refuse to wear a mask

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An Amtrak passenger train sits in Pennsylvania Station.
Mike Segar/Reuters

Amtrak riders who refuse to mask-up could be banned from future travel with the company, according to new rules posted Thursday.

“All customers and employees must wear a face covering or mask while on trains or thruway buses,” according to an update to the coronavirus page on the company’s website, first reported by The Points Guy.

“Amtrak reserves the right to remove customers or ban them from future travel in the event of noncompliance with Amtrak’s face covering policy,” the rules continue.

The publicly-owned, privately-operated train company first required masks in May — but has let passengers remove them if “seated alone” or with a travel companion.

The new rules allow passengers to remove their masks only when in private train cabins.

Amtrak is also “limiting bookings … to allow for more physical distancing in seating areas,” according to its website.

The company has run reduced schedules due to a dramatic drop in ridership during the coronavirus pandemic.