Coronavirus news – Page 10
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Rail Business UKDepartment for Transport demands train operators return to full service from July 6
UK: The Department for Transport has advised all franchised operators that a full service timetable is to be re-introduced from July 6. This follows the step-up in services from May 18, and despite high numbers of staff continuing to be unavailable for work after contracting the coronavirus ...
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Rail Business UKFace coverings to be required on trains in England from June 15
Source: Transport for London UK: The government has announced that operators of public transport services including trains, trams, buses, coaches, ferries and aircraft in England will be asked to make the wearing of non-medical face coverings a requirement for passengers from June 15. The rules for trains ...
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Rail Business UKAlerting passengers to busy trains and stations before leaving home
UK: Intending passengers can see how busy a specific train or station is likely to be before leaving home, using technology launched as part of efforts to help people stagger their journeys while social distancing measures remain in place The system developed by ...
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Rail Business UKWelsh Government announces £65m Emergency Measures Agreement
UK: The Welsh Government is to provide up to £65m over the next six months through an Emergency Measures Agreement to ensure that Wales & Borders passenger services can continue to operate. This will also ensure key infrastructure projects can be delivered, and fund free travel for ...
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Rail Business UKUnion calls for government support for open access operators
UK: The RMT trade union has written to the Secretary of State for Transport calling on the government to intervene to support open access operators Hull Trains and Grand Central. Unlike franchised operators, the open access companies which are owned by FirstGroup and Arriva have not received ...
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NewsWabtec launches BlueFilter air filters for trains
FILTER: Wabtec Corp has launched BlueFilter, a filter designed to be retrofitted to current passenger train HVAC systems to ensure the provision of clean air on board. The company says it can remove contaminants that are .01 to 1 000 μm size, smaller than current standard filters ...
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NewsLimited inter-city service restarts in Turkey
TURKEY: Limited inter-city services on the national network restarted with the departure of a high speed train from Ankara to Istanbul at 07.00 on May 28, the first such train since services were suspended as part of coronavirus lockdown measures on March 28. Passenger services have restarted ...
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NewsBoost for rail travel and clean mobility in EU recovery plan
EUROPE: ‘A boost for rail travel and clean mobility in our cities and regions’ is included in the proposals for a major post-coronavirus recovery plan for the European Union set out by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 27. This includes changes to the ...
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London studies bus driver coronavirus infections
UK: Transport for London has asked University College London’s Institute of Health Equity to provide independent advice as part of a study to better understand the pattern of coronavirus infections and deaths among London’s bus workers. The first part of the study will review TfL’s operational response ...
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Rail Business UKGovia Thameslink Railway uses 30-day ‘coronavirus killer’
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway’s entire train fleet as well as stations and staff areas have been treated with Zoono, a viruscide which is designed to stick to surfaces and inactivate the coronavirus for up to 30 days. The product is applied on a 21-day cycle, and a ...
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NewsRail and road service to avoid border delays in Southeast Asia
ASIA: CEVA Logistics has launched a ‘truck-rail-truck’ service to keep freight moving between China and Southeast Asia, where the Covid-19 crisis has led to fewer flights, capacity limits, operational restrictions and waits of up to four days for road traffic crossing the border between China and Vietnam. ...
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Metro Report InternationalUK government aims to ‘permanently change’ transport use as tram and bus funding announced
Source: Tony Miles UK: ‘We must plan our route to recovery’, said Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing on May 23, when he announced £283m of funding ‘to ensure that more buses, trams and light rail networks return to ...
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NewsCoronavirus app as part of Turkey’s transport restart
TURKEY: To support the restart of inter-city public transport, a mobile phone app is being used to track passengers in case anyone should subsequently test positive for the coronavirus. Intending passengers must install the app and input their date of birth, national identity number, ticket number, telephone ...
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NewsAI tools help Infrabel to maintain social distancing
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel is to deploy a raft of artificial intelligence tools to support its efforts in maintaining social distancing across its business as the country’s coronavirus lockdown is gradually eased. The company says that its ongoing research into the use of AI means it ...
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Metro Report InternationalGrant to develop public transport social distancing technology
Source: Transport for London UK: The Innovate UK innovation agency has awarded UrbanThings a grant to develop a coronavirus social distancing and contact tracing platform for public transport operators. This is intended to help ensure that transport systems can operate with social distancing measures in place. It ...
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NewsMedical PPE supplies from China to Italy by train
INTERNATIONAL: DB Schenker is organising the delivery of a total of 186 containers with more than 1 300 tonnes of medical protective equipment from China to hospitals in the Lombardia region of Italy. The products are collected from the factories and taken by road to the container ...
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NewsStadler CEO steps down over strategic differences
STADLER: Stadler Group CEO Dr Thomas Ahlburg has left by mutual agreement with the board, owing to ‘different views’ regarding strategic and organisational development, the company announced on May 21. Executive Chairman Peter Spuhler has returned to his previous role of Group CEO on an interim basis ...
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Rail Business UKWest Coast Main Line repairs undertaken while travel demand is low
UK: Network Rail has taken advantage of reduced travel demand during the coronavirus pandemic to close a section of the West Coast Main Line between Rugby and Milton Keynes which Gus Dunster, Executive Director of Operations at Avanti West Coast, said was ‘a notoriously difficult section to ...
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Metro Report InternationalMoscow Metro fights the coronavirus
RUSSIA: Moscow Metro has shared some of the steps it has taken to fight against the spread of the coronavirus. The operator said it had continued its record of running every say since the first section opened in May 1935, with the exception ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
Open access operator Grand Central has extended its service suspension throughout June. ‘I think over the coming month we’ll get a really informative picture of passenger attitude, government intentions and how the industry is dealing with social distancing, but for now the most sensible course of action ...