The UK government has said it will remain flexible over UK rail
operators’ franchise agreements during the coronavirus outbreak after several
of them sought financial support over a dramatic drop in passenger numbers.
Traffic had already been sliding before prime minister Boris
Johnson started recommending people practise social distancing and start
working from home where possible.
Now transport secretary Grant Shapps said he will be meeting
with rail bosses to determine how to “sustain” services without the need for
operating “ghost trains”, echoing a sentiment he discussed when urging the EU
to suspend airport slot rules for airlines. However, he stressed that some
trains would be needed to get some people, particularly key workers, where they
need to be.
According to the BBC, measures could include renegotiating
contracts, which govern minimum service agreements and restrictions on how much
operators can charge for tickets.
Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier this week
that some companies had seen an 18-20 per cent drop in passenger numbers.
Merseyrail in the north of England will be removing some
services until further notice, with trains only running every 30 minutes on all
lines and all trains made up of six carriages. London North Eastern Railway
(LNER) has announced it will be closing all of its first-class lounges and
removing all on-board catering from all trains.
A number of operators have warned passengers that services
may be delayed or cancelled at short notice as more train staff begin to self-isolate.
In the capital, Transport for London has introduced a number
of measures it will be taking after experiencing a similar fall in demand. It
has already been operating a Saturday service every day of the week, but it
will suspend 24-hour trains that normally operate on Friday and Saturday nights
on some lines until further notice.
TfL will also be closing the Waterloo and City line from
Friday until further notice, while London buses will also operate a reduced
service, except on the night bus network, which it says is needed to provide
key workers on night shifts with transport options.
In addition, up to 40 London Underground stations will be
closed from today. London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged residents of the capital
to avoid using public transport for anything other than essential journeys.