Face coverings in the capital
Rail chief’s plan once lockdown is lifted
RESERVATION-ONLY TRAIN services could be introduced in Yorkshire to limit the number of passengers as the region emerges from lockdown.
Transport for the North’s Rail North Committee, which will convene tomorrow in a virtual meeting live-streamed to the public, has set out guidelines for rail operators such as Northern and Transpennine Express (TPE) on how to run trains in the era of social distancing and reduced demand.
With staffing levels still expected to be affected by vulnerable workers remaining in isolation, daytime services for key workers will remain a priority, although the frequency and number of trains will start to gradually increase. There will be few evening services to allow resources to be concentrated on commuter trains.
Leisure travel will still be discouraged and timetables will not prioritise these destinations.
The report also raises the possibility of rail operators introducing reservation-only trains to limit the number of passengers using each service.
In the document – titled Covid-19 Recovery – the committee admits that the rail network will need to be prepared for an ‘unknown’ level of usage in the coming months.
PASSENGERS TRAVELLING on public transport in London are being told to wear face coverings.
Transport for London (TfL) said the measure could prevent people with coronavirus infecting others.
Face coverings can commonly mean a scarf, piece of cloth or mask.
The announcement covers passengers using the London Underground network, buses, black cabs and minicabs.
Some transport users were already covering their faces, but it was not mandatory.
TfL said in a statement: “Face coverings are particularly important where two-metre social distancing is hard to maintain.”
Since the lockdown timetable was introduced on March 23, passenger numbers have dropped to around five per cent of normal levels.
Transpennine
Express has
A report going before Transport for the North’s Rail North Committee. been transitioned onto a Government-supported Emergency Measures Agreement to protect the operator from financial pressure, and the same principles will apply to Northern, although they have already been under Government control since March, when Arriva lost the franchise.
When the report was prepared, the rail industry had been advised to prepare for an increase in services from May 18, and they are still awaiting further advice from the government. Northern will postpone the introduction of their planned May 2020 timetable update, and instead retain the December 2019 timetable as the basis for their immediate postlockdown operations.
The report states: “The timetable uplift will, for the northern operators, mean effectively the existing key worker timetables with significant enhancements.
“TPE is focussing on ‘travel to work’ rather than leisure passengers and where possible, will seek to increase day-time frequency and reduce evening frequency to manage the number of staff required to run the services.
“Northern is planning for the uplift based on its pre-existing December 2019 timetable. This allows them to use fleet and available staff more effectively which helps to achieve a more stable performance.
“Its previously-planned May 2020 timetable had few significant uplifts planned, meaning this approach fits with the rest of the planned uplifts in regional service patterns.
THE CHIEF executive of Welcome to Yorkshire has advocated a cautious approach to the return of tourism in Yorkshire.
James Mason warned that some rural communities are ‘‘not yet ready for the return of tourism’’ following the latest Government advice on travelling for exercise in open spaces.
The guidelines, clarified on Monday afternoon, state that ‘‘people can drive to outdoor open spaces at any distance away as long as they observe social distancing guidance’’ and mix only with those from their own household – and car parks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will now be open again.
“In March we asked people to stay away from our many beauty spots (coastline and countryside) to prevent the spread of Covid19. We welcome the road map to recovery BUT with caution. Please respect that these communities are not yet able to cope with tourism,” said Mr Mason.
It comes as former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who is now MP for South Lakeland in the Lake District National Park, wrote to the Prime
Top, a police sign at Malham Cove reminding visitors to stay away and, above, a similar message at Stainforth near Settle.
Minister urging limits to be put on the number of visitors to National Parks.
Mr Farron specifically mentioned the Yorkshire Dales in his open letter, and expressed fears that ‘‘thousands’’ of tourists could descend on both regions,
making social distancing in areas such as car parks and picnic spots impossible.
Rural governing bodies fear that infection rates could spike again among their elderly populations if an influx of visitors from cities is allowed.