Coronavirus news – Page 3
-
Metro Report InternationalStreet theatre to raise vaccine awareness at metro construction sites
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp has organised street theatre performances at construction sites to raise awareness of the benefits of Covid-19 vaccination. The shows performed by film, television and web actors use the rural dialects and folk songs of many of the construction workers. Leaflets are ...
-
Rail Business UKIndustry and unions agree principles for making the rail industry more financially sustainable
UK: The Rail Industry Recovery Group, which was formed to bring together industry and trade union representatives to identify ways to make the industry more financially sustainable in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, has agreed common principles and focus areas for ‘meaningful discussions’ to address ...
-
Rail Business UKWelsh rolling stock strategy evolves as three-phase post-pandemic recovery envisaged
UK: TfW Rail has again revised its fleet strategy as it seeks to ensure passenger services can be improved despite the financial constraints caused by Covid-19, Managing Director Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde tells Rail Business UK.
-
Rail Business UKGovernment plans new rail pass to boost domestic tourism
UK: Plans for a new rail pass designed to help the tourism sector recover following the coronavirus pandemic and encourage sustainable domestic holidays have been announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. The rail pass is one of the measures in the Tourism ...
-
Rail Business UKRail journeys in Great Britain lowest since at least 1872
UK: Rail passenger journeys in Great Britain in 2020-21 were the lowest since records began in 1872, according to the latest statistics from the Office of Rail & Road. The regulator said the ‘unprecedented’ fall in usage could be attributed entirely to the coronavirus pandemic, which had ...
-
Metro Report InternationalDriverless train study required under latest Transport for London support deal
UK: The Department for Transport has agreed a further funding package for Transport for London, with government conditions including studies for the possible conversion of two Underground lines to driverless operation. The deal reached on June 1 covers the period from May 29 to December 11. ...
-
Rail Business UKRail needs to be ‘relevant and wanted’ in an era of changed travel demand
UK: ‘How we go about our daily lives and conduct our businesses has changed for a lot of people’, said Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of FirstGroup’s First Rail business at the TransPennine Express RE-Connect 2021 conference. Before the coronavirus ‘we were seeing customer numbers at record ...
-
Rail Business UKScotRail tests on-train Covid-19 check-in system
UK: As part of Scotland’s coronavirus measures, ScotRail is undertaking an eight-week trial of the NHS Test & Protect Check In Scotland QR code system on one of its Inter7City trainsets, at the request of the Scottish government and Transport Scotland. From May 24, passengers with ...
-
Rail Business UK‘Post-Covid’ flexible train interior concepts proposed
UK: Concepts for train interior designs which could accommodate changed passenger requirements following the pandemic and with the ability to switch between ‘commuter’ and ‘leisure’ arrangements have been unveiled by operator Go-Ahead, leasing company Angel Trains and design agency Seymourpowell. Sliding armrests could allow seats to ...
-
Metro Report InternationalTransport for London funding package extended by 10 days
UK: The government and the Mayor of London have agreed a 10-day extension of Transport for London’s current funding deal, which was due to expire on May 18. The latest extension on the same terms comprises a payment of £65m with a top-up grant available based ...
-
NewsEurostar to increase services and complete Thalys merger as £250m refinancing agreement secured
EUROPE: Cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar has announced a £250m refinancing agreement with its shareholders and banks, which it said would enable it to continue to operate services and meet its short to mid-term financial obligations. The refinancing package announced on May 18 comprises £50m ...
-
NewsPandemic brings ‘bleak’ first quarter for European railways
EUROPE: The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a heavy impact across the rail sector, according to the Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies’ Covid Impact Tracker.
-
Rail Business UKReal-time passenger counting using on-train CCTV
UK: South Western Railway is testing the use of CCTV cameras, AI technology from PoS Insights and onboard wi-fi from Icomera to produce continuous estimates of passenger numbers on its Siemens Desiro EMU cars. The operator has plans for the data to be made available in ...
-
Rail Business UKCaledonian Sleeper services return to full timetable
UK: Caledonian Sleeper has confirmed that it will be restoring its full timetable from April 29, after a lengthy period of running a single daily train between London and Inverness via Edinburgh. Both the Lowlander and Highlander services will re-start, albeit with slightly shorter formations for ...
-
NewsAccess charge reductions fairer than direct support, says ERFA
Duisburg (Photo: DB). EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association has reiterated its belief that reducing track access charges would be the best way of supporting the rail freight sector through the pandemic in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner, rather than providing direct support for individual operators. ...
-
Rail Business UKReal-time loading information provided as Hull Trains restarts
UK: Hull Trains emerged from its three-month ‘hibernation’ as English coronavirus restrictions were eased on April 12, and has begun publishing real-time information on how busy its services are. The technology developed in-house by First Rail uses data supplied by onboard staff to show how busy ...
-
Metro Report InternationalManchester tram airflow helps to limit coronavirus risk, study finds
Photo: Tony Miles UK: The constant circulation of air by the ventilation system on Greater Manchester’s light rail vehicles helps to limit the risk of aerosol transmission of viruses, an independent study has found. Transport for Greater Manchester commissioned Arup to undertake computational fluid dynamics modelling of ...
-
Rail Business UKTravelSpace app aims to help get passengers back on the trains
UK: Beta test partners are being sought for live trials of the TravelSpace app, which aims to use up-to-date passenger loading data to help passengers find the least busy trains and assist operators in managing capacity to facilitate social distancing. The app can also be used ...
-
NewsRENFE sees Covid-19 recovery
SPAIN: Passenger traffic on the national rail network has recovered to around 50% of pre-pandemic levels, RENFE Present Isaías Táboas has reported, adding that RENFE is anticipating that the figure would reach 70% by the end of 2021. Citing operations in Andalucía as an example, on ...
-
NewsItalian support packages approved
ITALY: Two packages of Italian government support provided to the rail sector during the coronavirus crisis have been approved by the European Commission under EU state aid rules. One was a €270m measure to reduce track access costs for freight and commercial passenger operators between March ...