The railway in England will be gradually increasing services from Monday 18th May and running longer trains in some places to cope with increasing demand during the next phase of the Coronavirus response. In reality, to maintain social distancing wherever possible, there will still only be space for as few as a tenth of the usual number of people on board services.
That is why we are asking for the public’s help to keep the trains for those who really need them by only travelling when there really is no alternative and to consider travelling off peak, or by walking, cycling, or driving, if at all possible.
For those who have to travel, the rail industry is advising people to:
- Plan ahead: check before you travel as train times are changing next week. Buy tickets online, on mobile or on Smartcard and avoid travelling at busy times. If travelling on a long-distance service, you are strongly advised to make a reservation beforehand as capacity will be limited and you may otherwise not be able to travel.
- Consider others: people should wear a face covering to prevent spreading the virus. Respect our staff and be considerate to those less able as we all navigate a different way to travel.
- Stay safe: maintain social distancing where possible and pay contactless where available. Protect yourself by using hand sanitiser and washing your hands frequently.
Train companies are doing all they can to keep passengers and staff safe. This includes cleaning stations and trains throughout the day, every day and making face masks available to customer-facing staff. They are also managing capacity at stations and on trains, as well as putting new social distancing signage up across the railway and introducing one-way systems where necessary to help people get around.
