Coronavirus news – Page 9
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Rail Business UKFranchise support to be extended by 18 months
UK: The government is preparing for a further 18 months of financial support for passenger train operators once the existing Emergency Measures Agreements expire on September 20, industry insiders have confirmed. A formal decision is expected to be announced by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps ...
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Metro Report InternationalEmergency support for Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams
UK: The Scottish Government is to provide up to £9m of emergency funding for the Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams to help mitigate the financial impact of the drop in ridership as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The emergency measures announced on July 7 will be ...
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Rail Business UKSnowdon Mountain Railway takes delivery of diesel-battery locomotives
UK: The Snowdon Mountain Railway has taken delivery of two 800 mm gauge diesel-battery hybrid Abt rack locomotives ordered last year from Clayton Equipment, which specialises in the production of bespoke designs for specialist railway, metro, mining and tunnelling applications. Thanks to the hybrid drive, the ...
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Metro Report InternationalBlackpool trams to resume as UK light rail operators reflect government guidance
UK: Blackpool’s trams are to begin operating once more from July 19, having been suspended since March 29 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Operator Blackpool Transport said the resumption of services on the 16 km route was intended to ‘support the town’s economy and provide an important ...
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Rail Business UKCrowdsourcing train loadings to support social distancing
Trainline UK: Independent ticket retailer Trainline has launched a function on its app which is designed to help passengers alert other people if they find that it is not possible to socially distance in particular areas of specific trains. Passengers using the Crowd Alerts ...
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Rail Business UK‘Now is the right moment to act’ Grand Central says as it announces restart date
UK: ‘We’ve tracked our path forward, we believe now is the right moment to act, for our passengers, our staff and for the business’, Grand Central Managing Director Richard McClean told Rail Business UK on July 1 when the company announced plans for a ‘measured’ restart of ...
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Metro Report InternationalAI helps metro operator manage social distancing on trains and stations
PANAMA: Alstom has updated its Mastria multimodal operations management platform to help transport operators make real-time changes to their services, enabling passengers to comply with the social distancing requirements which have been implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mastria aggregates information from ...
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Metro Report InternationalTram operators share best practice on coronavirus communications
UK: Light rail industry association UK Tram organised a virtual event to enable its members to discuss the measures they had taken in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and to share best practice for post-lockdown communications as passengers begin to return. ‘Early observations suggest that the new ...
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Rail Business UKTransPennine Express releases details of July timetable uplift
UK: TransPennine Express has announced details of the timetable improvements it plans to make from July 6 as lockdown measures are eased and more people return to work. The date has been selected by the Department for Transport for all operators to make similar improvements. TPE expects ...
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NewsDedicated logistics concept developed for China – Germany medical glove shipments
INTERNATIONAL: Geodis has organised four shipments of containers carrying millions of disposable medical gloves from Chengdu to Nürnberg by rail for the German government. A batch was also sent to Frankfurt by air. The 40 ft containers are fitted with GEOtags which enable live tracking via GPS. ...
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NewsIndian Railways converts coaches into coronavirus isolation wards
INDIA: With the incidence of Covid-19 infections continuing to rise, more than 5 000 passenger coaches have been converted by Indian Railways’ zonal workshops to act as temporary isolation wards during the pandemic.
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NewsHow the rail sector fought Covid-19
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways’ coronavirus task force has published its third document on the sector’s response to the crisis, focusing on how the rail industry fought Covid-19 during lockdown periods and looking at the mitigation measures put in place to stop the spread of ...
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Metro Report InternationalDashboard to help passengers ‘travel smarter’ in Chicago
USA: Chicago Transit Authority has launched an ridership information dashboard to help passengers avoid travelling at the busiest times during the coronavirus pandemic. CTA and the Chicago Department of Public Health have set capacity limits of 15 passengers on a standard bus and 22 on an articulated ...
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Metro Report InternationalMetro de Barcelona tests UV light disinfectant
SPAIN:· In addition to the regular daily cleaning of surfaces using conventional methods, Metro de Barcelona is working with cleaning companies and robot manufacturers to test the use of ultraviolet light for disinfecting trains, stairways, handrails and passenger circulating areas. The test sessions have taken place on ...
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NewsSNCF launches ‘unprecedented’ regional rail and tourism campaign
FRANCE: What SNCF terms an ‘unprecedented relaunch’ of its TER regional passenger services was announced on June 12 as the country starts to open up after the coronavirus pandemic. Branded ‘TER de France’, the campaign is being led by SNCF in conjunction with regional authorities acting through ...
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Rail Business UKFace coverings now mandatory on trains in England
UK: It became mandatory for public transport passengers in England to cover their nose and mouth on June 15. Government advice remains to avoid public transport where possible, however mandating the use of face coverings is intended to help prevent infected people from spreading coronavirus as lockdown ...
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In depthComment: A question of support
Chris Jackson , Editor-in-Chief, Railway Gazette Governments and railways around the world are facing up to the economic turmoil engendered by the coronavirus pandemic and the threat of long-term recession. But as countries start easing their lockdown restrictions, the thinking needs to move from simply getting ...
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NewsCoronavirus crisis offers lessons for rail freight policy
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association says lessons about the key success factors for rail freight can be learned from the significant improvement in performance which has occurred as a direct consequence of the drastic reduction in passenger traffic during the coronavirus pandemic. Shippers have long been ...
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NewsNew York MTA implements 13-point reopening plan
Source: Joseph M Calisi USA: A 13-point plan to return subway and commuter rail services to pre-coronavirus levels was launched by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority on June 8. The action plan includes: an increase in services; additional cleaning and disinfecting; mandatory use of face coverings ...
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Rail Business UKRail supply chain needs clarity on future work to support coronavirus recovery planning
UK: Companies in the railway supply chain are largely confident that they can survive the coronavirus crisis as long as they gain visibility on future work by early autumn, according to the findings of a survey commissioned by the Rail Supply Group. RSG said the survey undertaken ...