Coronavirus news – Page 7
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Rail Business UKDfT clarifies ERMA end dates as next steps negotiated
UK: The Department for Transport has confirmed the timescales for the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements which were signed with franchised train operating companies earlier this month. Industry insiders note that the staggered end dates reflect a sensible approach to the situation, and create a ‘manageable pipeline’ for ...
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NewsBerlin protest train calls for fair play for independent operators
GERMANY: The Netzwerk Europäischer Eisenbahnen association of more than 25 independent freight operators arranged a special train through Berlin on September 28 to draw attention to the federal government’s failure to provide financial support for its member companies while offering compensation to state-owned Deutsche Bahn to deal ...
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Metro Report InternationalBART celebrates world mask-wearing culture during the pandemic
USA: San Francisco Bay Area metro operator BART is highlighting mask styles from around the world as part of a campaign to change the way passengers think about face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Whether storytelling or celebrating culture, masks have always served a useful function’, ...
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Metro Report InternationalContactless payment introduced on Málaga suburban network
SPAIN: Indra has deployed contactless EMV bank card payment on RENFE’s Málaga suburban services. Passengers pass through the entry and exit gates by holding their bank card or suitable mobile device over the sensor. Indra’s Mova Collect fare collection system then charges the appropriate single fare for ...
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Rail Business UKScotRail Emergency Measures Agreement extended
UK: The Scottish government has extended its funding for the ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper franchises, following on from the six-month Emergency Measures Agreement introduced in April 2020, which was due to expire on September 20. Announcing on September 18 an extension to January 10 2021, the Scottish ...
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Rail Business UKUK government announces the end of rail franchising
UK:·The government has announced the end of rail franchising, with Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps saying ‘the model of privatisation adopted 25 years ago has seen significant rises in passenger numbers, but this pandemic has proven that it is no longer working’.
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Metro Report InternationalUrbanThings launches social distancing technology
UK: Ipswich Buses has deployed social distancing technology which has been developed by UrbanThings using a grant awarded by innovation agency Innovate UK. Integrated into the existing mobile ticketing platform, this uses live vehicle occupancy data to generate predictions of future rider numbers which are fed ...
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Rail Business UKRose Hill Marple service cut back as Northern faces training backlog
Northern Managing Director Nick Donovan explains to Rail Business UK why the service from Manchester to Rose Hill Marple has been reduced to just three trains per day.
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Rail Business UKCheapest offers in crosshairs as government confirms January rail fare rise
UK: Regulated rail fares are set to increase in January 2021 despite pressure from consumer and environmental groups for the Department for Transport to freeze them as part of efforts to encourage people back onto trains. In line with previous years, the increase will be linked to ...
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Rail Business UKCrossCountry resumes normal seat reservations
UK: CrossCountry resumed providing reservations for specific seats on all its trains with effect from September 7. Since June, all customers have been requested to reserve a place when travelling with CrossCountry, to help maintain social distancing on board trains during the coronavirus pandemic. The operator said ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Central drops plans for Blackpool – London open access service
Rail Business UK understands that after months of work exploring all options, it had become clear that the service would not be financially viable until at least 2024.
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Metro Report InternationalDesign agency showcases post-Covid metro train concept
INTERNATIONAL: Design company Tangerine has developed a concept for a ‘post-Covid’ metro train, designed to help operators plan for future pandemics by enabling them to readily adapt the interior to minimise the risk of transmission during local outbreaks. The ‘Metamorphosis’ concept has an ...
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NewsRail receives €4·7bn in French recovery spending package
Photo: Christophe Masse FRANCE: The government announced on September 3 its intention to provide a financial support package for the rail sector worth €4·7bn as part of a post-pandemic recovery plan. Transport Secretary Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said that the funding package, which forms part of a wider national ...
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NewsAmtrak works with Reckitt Benckiser to increase cleaning
USA: Amtrak is to work with cleaning, health and household products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser to strengthen its disinfection protocols for trains, stations and lounges. RB is to supply disinfection equipment for use across high-touch and high-traffic areas, including products which Amtrak said were proven to be effective ...
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NewsFreight RAILCAR bill aims to support US wagon industry
USA: The Railway Supply Institute which represents more than 200 companies has welcomed the bipartisan introduction to the House of Representatives of the Freight Rail Assistance & Investment to Launch Coronavirus-era Activity & Recovery Act, which would offer a time-limited 50% tax credit for purchasing new wagons ...
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NewsCovid-19 aid package unfair, say independent operators
GERMANY: Financial aid earmarked for national operator Deutsche Bahn in the form of a €5bn equity increase as compensation for the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic constitutes unfair state aid under European Union law, according to Netzwerk Europäischer Eisenbahnen, an association of around 60 independent rail freight ...
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Rail Business UKPassenger concerns hold back return to rail
Passenger demand remains low, with Transport Focus data showing that travel by train remains at around 5% of pre-pandemic levels, and the industry’s work during the pandemic has brought a range of responses.
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Rail Business UKTreasury concerns over ticketing changes
UK: Department for Transport sources have confirmed to Rail Business UK that a key focus within the department is now on the development of part-time season tickets or carnets to encourage commuters to return to train services. However, pressure from the Treasury to manage any lost ...
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Rail Business UKGWR Emergency Measures Agreement extended
UK: On September 1 the Department for Transport exercised its option to extend the Emergency Measures Agreement covering FirstGroup’s Great Western franchise until at least June 26 2021. FirstGroup Chief Executive Matthew Gregory said this ‘provides important clarity and continuity for our customers, employees and wider stakeholders’. ...
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NewsBombardier Transportation to cut Thunder Bay workforce
CANADA: Bombardier Transportation has announced plans to reduce the workforce at its Thunder Bay plant in Ontario by 125 people by mid-October, and potentially by 75 more next March. ‘Unfortunately, we find ourselves unable to sustain current workforce levels’, the company said. ‘During the last 19 months, ...