Coronavirus news – Page 11
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Rail Business UKWest Coast Main Line repairs undertaken while travel demand is low
UK: Network Rail has taken advantage of reduced travel demand during the coronavirus pandemic to close a section of the West Coast Main Line between Rugby and Milton Keynes which Gus Dunster, Executive Director of Operations at Avanti West Coast, said was ‘a notoriously difficult section to ...
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Metro Report InternationalMoscow Metro fights the coronavirus
RUSSIA: Moscow Metro has shared some of the steps it has taken to fight against the spread of the coronavirus. The operator said it had continued its record of running every say since the first section opened in May 1935, with the exception ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
Open access operator Grand Central has extended its service suspension throughout June. ‘I think over the coming month we’ll get a really informative picture of passenger attitude, government intentions and how the industry is dealing with social distancing, but for now the most sensible course of action ...
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NewsJoint call to facilitate cross-border rail freight
INTERNATIONAL: The World Customs Organization, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail and the Organisation for Co-operation Between Railways have jointly called for better co-ordination between customs administrations, transport authorities and the rail sector to facilitate the operation of cross-border supply chains and help mitigate ...
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NewsIsrael Railways accelerates station enhancement works during lockdown
ISRAEL: In addition to accelerating major infrastructure projects and undertaking track and rolling stock maintenance, Israel Railways has used the opportunity presented by the suspension of passenger services during national Covid-19 lockdown measures to undertake planned enhancement works at 40 stations. The works ...
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Metro Report InternationalSocial distancing measures in place as Transport for London increases services
UK: ‘Coronavirus poses monumental challenges to our city’s complex public transport network’, said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on May 18, when Transport for London began increasing its services to accommodate growing ridership as coronavirus lock-down measures are eased. The increase in services ...
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London to receive emergency funding
UK: The government has agreed to provide a grant of £1·095bn and a loan of £505m from the Public Works Loan Board to support continuity of operations at Transport for London. In return for the package of support running to October 17 which was agreed on May ...
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Rail Business UKFranchising faces an uncertain future as ‘the clock is ticking’ on emergency agreement
UK: The only certainty in the UK rail sector at the moment is that the future is uncertain, particularly as the government’s long-term message is still to avoid using public transport if at all possible, whilst encouraging people to return to work. The Department for Transport’s Emergency ...
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NewsDB set for emergency funding package as losses mount
GERMANY: Emergency support to help Deutsche Bahn weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to come in the form of another equity injection, according to proposals being drawn up by the federal government ahead of a DB board meeting on May 15. Research ...
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Rail Business UKDemand to be managed down as part of train service ramp-up strategy
UK: With the Department for Transport expecting passenger services to step up to a ‘Saturday service’ level from May 18, train operators have warned that social distancing measures mean that capacity across the network will continue to be very limited. Between 65% and 80% of normal weekday ...
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NewsIAF track technology trade fair moved to 2022
GERMANY:·The VDEI professional association of German railway engineers has postponed its 28th IAF International Exhibition for Track Technology from May 2021 until 2022. The event in the city of Münster will now be held from May 31 to June 2 2022. VDEI said ...
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NewsAmtrak requires face coverings as services increase
USA: Amtrak has announced that all customers using its trains, stations or connecting bus services will be required to cover their nose and mouth with effect from May 11. The national passenger operator explained that the mandatory face coverings could be removed when ...
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Metro Report InternationalSpain implements transport safety measures as lockdown eases
tn_es-barcelona-metro-generic_04.jpg SPAIN: The use of face masks covering the nose and mouth became obligatory for passengers on all modes of public transport from May 4, including taxis, ferries and flights. Workers involved in providing these services are also obliged to wear masks, and must have access to ...
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NewsCovid-19 crisis is hitting the rail industry hard, consultancy finds
EUROPE: The coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a wide-ranging impact on train operators, vehicle owners and the rolling stock supply industry, according to a study undertaken by German management consultancy SCI Verkehr. Entitled ‘Impact of the Covid-19 Crisis on the railway sector in Europe’, the study ...
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Metro Report InternationalNational campaign may be needed to get passengers back on public transport
UK: City transport operators could face a 20% fall in ridership after Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted, according to survey undertaken by Systra Of respondents who are expecting to reduce their use of public transport, 49% will do so because of concerns over getting ill; 24% said ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Central surveys passenger attitudes to support restart planning
UK: Grand Central has launched what it calls an ‘ambitious open-ended survey’ to gauge current public attitudes to rail travel. The Arriva-owned open access operator intends to use the findings to plan the restart of its passenger services following a ‘hibernation’ which was implemented when Covid-19 travel ...
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Rail Business UKTransport call centre switches over to home working
UK: Transport customer call centre provider ESP Group worked with its technology supplier EKO to switch more than 200 employees to home working over three days to enable it continue its operations during the pandemic. It has also set up three additional emergency lines to support key ...
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NewsStation passenger flows modified to reduce infection risk
SPAIN: As Covid-19 lockdown measures are eased and passenger numbers increase, pedestrian flows at Madrid Chamartín station have been modified to provide one-way routes to segregate entering and leaving passengers. This aims to reduce the risk of spreading infections between people heading in opposite directions. Particular attention ...
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NewsCoronavirus leads to new ways of working at KiwiRail
NEW ZEALAND: ‘As an essential service, we’ve had to learn a whole new way of working’, said KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller, announcing details of changes made by the national railway to reflect the impact of Covid-19. ‘We have provided additional PPE to our teams in ...
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NewsRail gets disinfectant material to Poland
EUROPE: Captrain and TankMatch Rail Hamburg are transporting 1 000 tonnes of ethanol in 18 wagons from the Port of Rotterdam to Pleszew in Poland on May 4-5. The ethanol is urgently needed for the production of disinfectants, with Poland facing a shortage because of the high ...