More seats and extra services as railways ramp up

TRAIN SERVICES will be ramped up from today, with new services and extra seats available to commuters across the region.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group ( RDG) said timetables will be increased to around 90 per cent of pre- coronavirus pandemic levels. This will mean additional and longer trains on many routes, particularly at peak times.

AnthonySmith, chiefexecutive of passenger watchdog Transport Focus, said existing and returning passengers will welcome the capacity increase as “many will now have more choice and a better chance of maintaining social distancing”.

He went on: “The rail industry must focus on maintaining good performance so that passengers can travel with confidence. Disruption and any crowding from this will be especially unwelcome and has the potential to damage trust in the railway.

“The industry also needs to keep an eye on passengers numbers, and checking if gaps in services are causing problems.”

A survey of 2,000 public transport users by Transport Focus conducted last month suggested that 77 per cent of train passengers were satisfied with the ability to keep a safe distance from others.

The research also indicated that 50 per cent were satisfied with the ease of finding out how busy a train service would be before travelling, and 69 per cent were satisfied with the number of people wearing face coverings.

It is mandatory to wear a face covering on public transport, apart for people with exemptions. A recent study by the Rail Safety and Standards Board concluded that the risk of contracting Covid- 19 on an average journey is below 0.01 per cent.

LNER is adding 10 extra AngloScottish services to its timetables, serving destinations such as Peterborough, Doncaster, York and Newcastle.

It will continue to require passengers to reserve a seat in advance of travel to support social distancing on board.