News

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hailed the efforts of transport operators and employees across the country who have gone above and beyond to help the nation’s coronavirus vaccination roll-out, as the programme nears a major milestone in reaching those most at need.

• Train operators are asking people who need to use the railway during lockdown to check before they travel as changes to services become available on journey planners. 
• Working with government, train companies will be reducing services but will ensure key workers and others who need to travel can do so and will focus on maintaining space for social distancing. Operators will continue to monitor and adapt services to ensure they meet demand. 
• The change reflects the lower numbers of people travelling and delivers better value for taxpayers; while ensuring services will continue to run reliably if COVID-19 affects the availability of rail staff  
• Changes are being made in a way so that services can be restored as quickly as possible when restrictions are eased meaning not all operators are stepping timetables down at the same time, so people who are travelling should continue to check train times regularly over coming weeks.  

Responding to recent reports of staff at a small number of train companies being affected by Covid-19, a spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said:

Response to the government announcement confirming rail fares will remain at 2020 prices until 1 March 2021 and then rise by 2.6%.

This morning the ORR published their latest statistical release on Passenger Rail Usage, covering Quarter 2 of 2020-21 (July to September 2020).

• This year, rail freight will transport millions of Christmas decorations, trees and bottles of wine including 30% of Tesco’s Christmas range
• Rail freight has played an important role supporting the country throughout the pandemic and will now ensure people have everything they need to celebrate the festive period
• Intermodal rail freight which includes goods for retail has increased by almost 20% over the last decade with 1.6million tonnes being transported last month.
• With each freight train carrying as much as 76 HGVs, rail freight will help cut traffic jams in the run up to Christmas

• As the rail industry works together to help people travel with confidence this Christmas, passengers are asked to plan in advance and book their outward and return journeys 
• 95% of the network is running as usual over the Christmas and New Year period, with essential engineering work taking place at key locations 
• Upgrade work will improve train reliability for passengers on several routes and boost connectivity between England and Scotland on the East Coast Main Line 

Responding to the Chancellor's Spending Review, Robert Nisbet, Director of Nations and Regions at the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, said:

Train companies are extending free train travel for survivors of domestic abuse until the end of March next year. The move comes as figures show four survivors a day, on average, have been using the scheme and reports show that abuse has worsened during coronavirus restrictions.  

As part of ongoing work by the rail industry to increase passenger confidence and make the railway even safer during the coronavirus pandemic, a new pilot to increase already high observance of face covering rules has led to almost total compliance on trains and at stations.