Coronavirus news – Page 2
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Rail Business UKRail industry responds to end of Plan B coronavirus restrictions
UK: Rail industry organisations have responded to the government’s announcement that coronavirus ‘Plan B’ restrictions in England will be eased from January 27, with the removal of the legal requirement for people to wear a face covering on public transport unless they have a reasonable excuse ...
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In depthMarket trends: Cautious builders eye slow recovery
While existing contracts have sustained the global rolling stock industry through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, future prospects will be determined by the pace of recovery in rail travel over the next few years.
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In depthInterview: ‘We have the tools – it is in our hands to deliver’
The next decade will be crucial for the global fight against irreversible climate change, and rail is the only mode that is well placed to deliver significant decarbonisation in the transport sector, UIC Director-General François Davenne explains to Chris Jackson.
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Rail Business UKTrain services cut as omicron hits the rail sector
UK: Train operators across the country are introducing temporary timetables designed to offer more resilience as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus leads to increased staff absences. The move is also expected to reduce the cost to the government at a time of low demand as ...
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Rail Business UKScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper support extended
UK: The Emergency Measures Agreements which temporarily vary the terms of the ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper franchises have been further extended from December 2021 until February 2022. Under the EMAs, the Scottish government will continue to provide Abellio ScotRail and Serco Caledonian Sleepers with additional funding ...
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NewsCoronavirus track access charge reduction approved
SWEDEN: The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a SKr1·37bn Swedish scheme to support the rail passenger and freight sectors during the coronavirus outbreak.
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Rail Business UKLondon Waterloo loses its position as Britain’s busiest station
UK: London Waterloo has lost its place as the busiest station in Great Britain after 17 years at the top of the table, according to the Office of Rail & Road’s latest estimates of annual station usage.
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Rail Business UKTrain operators launch voluntary severance scheme
UK: Train operating companies opened the industry-wide voluntary severance scheme to staff at midday on October 13, as part of a Department for Transport-led cost reduction initiative launched in response to expected changes in passenger demand in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mirroring a similar ...
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NewsImpact of the pandemic on rail remains ‘dire’, says CER
EUROPE: The September update of the Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies’ Covid Impact Tracker shows signs of improvement for passenger train services, but none for freight and a worsening of the financial situation for infrastructure managers.
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Rail Business UKPassenger occupancy analytics partnership follows successful trial
ANALYTICS: Icomera and Glimpse Analytics are to co-operate to offer ‘robust’ video analytics software for the real-time monitoring of passenger loadings, enabling operators and passengers to make more informed decisions based on train occupancy. The partnership agreement follows successful trials on South Western Railway services from ...
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NewsLeisure travellers return to rail as bank holiday traffic exceeds pre-pandemic level
UK: Provisional statistics released by the Department for Transport show rail journeys reached a high of 66% of pre-pandemic levels this summer, driven by increased leisure travel. Meanwhile, industry data shows that leisure journeys to seaside destinations over the August bank holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels. ...
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NewsKiwiRail announces freight service ‘to keep New Zealand moving’
NEW ZEALAND: National railway KiwiRail is to launch a weekday freight service between Auckland and Christchurch from October, boosting capacity between the North and South islands in time for the peak season and while the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting other modes. There will ...
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Metro Report InternationalBerlin S-Bahn runs vaccination train
GERMANY: A special coronavirus vaccination train ran on the Berlin S-Bahn’s ring line on August 30, with people over 18 who had not been vaccinated able to get the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine onboard. The Class 484 trainset made three anti-clockwise circuits on Route ...
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Rail Business UKRail emissions down as services reduced during pandemic
UK: The reduction in train services during the coronavirus pandemic unsurprisingly led to a reduction in network-wide diesel and electricity consumption in 2020-21, although the collapse in ridership meant an increase in CO2 equivalent per passenger-km. The Office of Rail & Road has published its latest ...
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NewsCalls for cross-industry support as coronavirus state aid approved
GERMANY: State aid measures to support the rail freight and long-distance passenger sectors and reduce track access charges during the coronavirus pandemic have been approved by the European Commission. However, private operators’ association Mofair is calling for further funding proposed by the government to be used ...
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Metro Report InternationalReal-time loading information through Google Maps
USA: MTA Long Island Rail Road passengers can now obtain real-time information about seat availability through Google Maps. The technology was developed in-house by the operator. ‘LIRR continues to innovate and develop cutting-edge technology to allow riders to plan their trip right down to the train ...
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In depthCentral & Eastern Europe: Rail at heart of recovery package
Railways across central and eastern Europe stand to benefit as member states submit their national post-Covid recovery plans to the EU in order to access temporary stimulus funds. Toma Bačić provides a snapshot of proposals from five countries.
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Metro Report InternationalEnglish light rail networks get final tranche of Covid-19 funding
UK: The government has announced £56m of funding to support the operation of Manchester Metrolink, Tyne & Wear Metro, Sheffield Supertram, Nottingham Express Transit, West Midlands Metro and Blackpool Tramway services from July 20 to April 2022. The funding announced on July 16 is expected to ...
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NewsCovid Impact Tracker shows continued losses for rail in 2021
EUROPE: The economic situation for EU railways shows very little sign of improvement, according to the Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies’ Covid Impact Tracker. Revenues from January to May 2021 were lower across the board than in the second half of 2020, the association reported. ...
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Metro Report InternationalWi-fi used to estimate station usage
UK: Transport for London is using aggregated and depersonalised data from its wi-fi network to provide real-time information on how busy London Underground stations are at any particular time of the day. TfL has previously used ticketing data to understand travel patterns, with its estimates of ...