Railways introduce crowd control measures to help stop coronavirus spread
Rail and Tube chiefs today put in place crowd control measures at stations around the UK and added more train services amid fears overcrowding could help spread coronavirus.
Last Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged those who could not work from home to go back to work in an easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
Network Rail said it will introduce around 3,000 more trains today but said social distancing means capacity is reduced to around 10 per cent to 13 per cent of normal levels.
Train operators have hired new security staff for crowd control, have put in place one-way systems at stations, taped off some train seats and added new cleaning staff to help trains run safely during the coronavirus outbreak.
Government advice says people should only take the train if there is no other way to travel as part of efforts to reserve services for key workers who have no other means of getting to work.
For the last eight weeks, trains have been running to a Sunday-style timetable after train companies cut services to about half the usual number of trains on 23 March as the country went into lockdown.
The increase today will put them at levels similar to a Saturday timetable, but some way off a usual weekday when about 24,000 trains run.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “We are opposed to the early relaxation of lockdown measures and believe that non-essential workers should avoid using trains. When people absolutely must use a train there should be two new compulsory protections.
“Firstly there should be compulsory two metre social distancing on all trains. It is baffling that the government are telling the public to observe two metre social distancing in open spaces outdoors but not enforce two metre social distancing on trains, whose confined spaces mean there is a greater risk of infection.
“Secondly there should be compulsory wearing of face masks which should be provided for free. It is mystifying that there is a requirement for passengers on Eurostar services in the UK to wear masks but not on other UK rail services. We have the crazy situation of Eurostar passengers arriving with masks on into St Pancras but then not wearing masks when they transfer to the tube or other rail services.”
Rail franchises including Avanti West Coast and LNER are set to introduce measures to help passengers socially distance on journeys, it was announced.
From today, LNER, which runs services on the east coast, has introduced mandatory seat reservations for all passengers.
Passengers will be required to have a reservation for the specific train they wish to travel on, or else will not be allowed to board.
They are also asked to keep two rows apart from other passengers in standard class and one row apart in first class.
Avanti have asked that people buy advance tickets before arriving at the station, and urged passengers to wear masks on their journeys.
Chiltern Railways, which runs services between London and the West Midlands is also advising its passengers to book tickets in advance where possible and to wear masks.
Tube and bus network increase capacity
Transport for London (TfL) also said it was working to return Tube and bus services to normal levels after scaling back services during the height of the crisis.
TfL agreed a £1.6bn bailout deal with the government last week, one of the conditions of which was that it was get normal services running as quickly as possible,
The London transport network operator said it aims to run 75 per of normal Tube services and 85 per cent of normal bus services.
TfL said social distancing requirements meant transport capacity is “hugely constrained”.
The operator said it will introduce hundreds of hand sanitiser dispensers at stations along with new one-way systems, signage and announcements.
It also asked passengers to wear face coverings when using the transport network.
TfL said people should avoid using public transport wherever possible and encouraged people to walk or cycle instead.
The operator said the busiest times on the network are between 5.45am and 8.15am, and 4pm to 5.30pm.
It asked passengers to take the most direct route and avoid busy interchanges and stations.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Coronavirus poses monumental challenges to our city’s complex public transport network. TfL is working hard to increase services to pre-Covid levels despite staff being ill, shielding or self-isolating. But even when services are running at the highest possible frequency, the need to maintain safe social distancing will dramatically reduce capacity on the Tube to just 13-15 per cent.
“We are making it safer for people who have no alternative but to use public transport by reopening stations, installing hand sanitiser points, introducing one-way systems and reminding people of the need to stay two metres apart. We are also making sure Londoners know which stations to avoid at what times.
“However, I must urge all Londoners to only use public transport as a last resort and to walk or cycle for any essential journeys if you possibly can. You should continue to work from home if you are able to do so.
“It is crucial that we keep demand for services as low as possible to avoid a second peak that could overwhelm the NHS. I am grateful that the vast majority of Londoners are staying at home – please continue to do so to protect our NHS and save lives.”