ScotRail have confiscated 10,000 tickets and handed out £17,000 in fines to lockdown fare-dodgers in the past few months. The rail firm is cracking down on customers taking advantage of reduced staff numbers during the pandemic to avoid paying the full price of their journey.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail Ticketing

Around one in 10 rail services should be cut while passenger numbers remain low, says Network Rail.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Network Rail

If services are not clean and reliable, then passengers may not return warns Rail Minister.
(Permalink) COVID-19

Following the governments February 22 announcement of a proposed timeline for easing coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England, open access operators Grand Central and Hull Trains have confirmed that they are to remain in 'hibernation' for the time being.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Grand Central Hull Trains

Western Isles Council today formally rejectedthe proposals from Transport Scotland and their contractor CalMac to further reduce the limited winter timetable currently in place and delay a summer timetable indefinitely.

(Permalink) COVID-19 Caledonian MacBrayne

Revellers at a Covid rules-defying party were fined and a man arrested after cops broke up the West End do.

(Permalink) Balgray Tunnel COVID-19

Over 180 rookie train drivers are being paid £27,000 a year to stay home amid Covid curbs. ScotRail recruits hired before the outbreak have been unable to qualify after training was hooked.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Train drivers

The Scottish Government paid ScotRail £237.3m more subsidy between March and September last year than the corresponding period of the previous year because of Covid-19. Transport Scotland paid operator Abellio £475.1m during the Emergency Measures Agreement that operated from 1 March to September. This is twice the £237.8 paid to the operator for the corresponding period of 2019.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail Scottish Government Subsidy

ScotRail is going the extra mile to make sure key and essential workers are able to get home after their shifts finish.

Following customer feedback, the train operator is making changes to the reduced timetable introduced earlier this month to reflect a 90 per cent fall in the number of passengers.

The revised timetable, that delivers better value for the taxpayer, is part of ScotRail's strategy to provide critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail Timetabling

The RMT trade union has written to the government calling for a suspension of on-train revenue protection and ticket inspection duties at all Train Operating Companies for the duration of the coronavirus lockdown.
(Permalink) COVID-19 RMT Ticketing

ScotRail is working on overhauling its ticketing options as it expects post-pandemic travel patterns to be dramatically altered.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Ticketing

Temporary exhibition at National Railway Museum and Locomotion to recognise railway key workers
(Permalink) COVID-19 Exhibition

Caledonian MacBrayne have issued a reminder that those using their ferry services should only be doing so for essential travel.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Caledonian MacBrayne

A Dunfermline key worker has hit out after his train was cancelled when ScotRail reduced their services at the beginning of the month.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

Glasgow subway workers are self-isolating after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases among SPT staff.

(Permalink) COVID-19 Glasgow Subway

Concerns have been voiced over the amount of rail crimes committed during the lockdown.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Crime Fife

EUROPE: Railways in the European Union lost a total of 26bn in revenue in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to data collected by the Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies.
(Permalink) COVID-19

ScotRail will reduce the number of trains running across the country from Monday (1 February) as the train operator continues to revise the critical service being provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing lockdown restrictions in place are severely reducing the number of people travelling, and the changes being made to the timetable reflect the current demand from customers, while delivering better value for the taxpayer.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

The boss of Scotland's Railways says 'difficult decisions' have to be made to save taxpayer money.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

ScotRail is to operate a reduced service from February, as lockdown has restricted the number of people travelling. This is the second change for ScotRail in recent weeks, after the number of carriages on services were reduced earlier in January, with customer numbers down by almost 90% compared to the same time last year.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

The ongoing lockdown restrictions in place are severely reducing the number of people travelling.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

A total of 172 ScotRail staff were off work this week due to coronavirus with the train operator among Scottish transport firms worst affected by the pandemic.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

'Taxpayers have been very generous in their support to keep trains running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic' - UK Rail Minister.
(Permalink) COVID-19

Concessionary Travel passholders can travel free on public transport before 9:30am if they are going to or from a coronavirus vaccination appointment.
Nexus has confirmed that older and eligible disabled customers can travel on local buses in Tyne and Wear and Metro if they have a Metro Gold Card providing they have proof of an early morning appointment, such as a letter, email or text.
This extra concession works the same as the longstanding hospital appointment concession. Concessionary Travel passes and Metro Gold Cards can otherwise be used after 9:30am weekdays and all day at weekends and publicholidays.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Tyne and Wear Metro

Scotrail has scrapped its service from Milngavie to Central Station during the day.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Glasgow Central Milngavie

Railway passenger numbers have been hit hard by the pandemic with figures released on Friday showing a 90 per cent reduction from normal service.
(Permalink) COVID-19

The cross-Channel train service has seen a 95% fall in passengers during the Covid-19 pandemicEurostar has said it is facing an existential threat, as business leaders pleaded with the government to step in and save the vital link with Europe.A 95% drop in passenger numbers has brought the cross-Channel train service to its knees, and the company reiterated on Sunday that while government loans had been extended to aviation, international high-speed rail had also been severely affected by the pandemic.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Eurostar

ScotRail has announced plans to cut the capacity of trains to and from Helensburgh Central from next week.

(Permalink) COVID-19 Helensburgh

ScotRail will reduce the number of carriages on some services from Monday (18 January) as the train operator continues to provide a critical service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The revised lockdown restrictions announced by the Scottish Government this week have had a further impact on the number of people travelling, and fewer seats are needed to continue running a safe and reliable service.



(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

ScotRail has been forced to cut or truncate services on the Glasgow to Stranraer line this week 'due to the impact of Covid-19 on staff availability'.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Stranraer

Scotland's main train operator could run services with half the normal carriages after passenger numbers fell by 90 per cent.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

Rail bosses have admitted they dont expect passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels as reducing services amid the current lockdown are 'under active consideration'.

(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

As the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increases, transport and travel union TSSA has written to British transport ministers calling on them to ensure that essential transport workers are next in line for vaccination against coronavirus. In the letters “ sent to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Scotland's Transport Minister Michael Matheson, and Wales Transport ...
(Permalink) COVID-19 Vaccination

Scotland's main train operator is to further reduce services within weeks after the latest lockdown triggered another fall in passenger numbers, The Scotsman has learned.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

Concern about passengers not wearing masks has increased complaints about personal security on trains to their highest level for seven years.
(Permalink) COVID-19

Rail services in Britain are likely to be slashed by about 50% in the coming weeks, as a result of Covid travel restrictions, as airlines look to cut schedules and holiday firms cancel bookings for the coming months.The government is to consult with train operators over services to be removed from the schedule, as it seeks to cut the running costs of the now effectively nationalised railway.
(Permalink) COVID-19

East Yorkshire to London open access operator Hull Trains is to temporarily suspend all services from 00.01 on January 9, following the Government's announcement of a third coronavirus lockdown in England.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Hull trains

Following the Government's announcement of a third national lockdown in England, London to West Yorkshire and Sunderland open access operator Grand Central said it would be suspending all its services from January 9 until March 1.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Grand Central

The managing director of Western Ferries has hailed the resilience of its operations amid the challenges posed by the pandemic, as the privately-owned company behind the Gourock to Dunoon service deals with the prospect of a further major lockdown to suppress surging rates of coronavirus.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Dunoon Gourock McInroy's Point Western Ferries

More than half of users will walk or cycle instead of taking buses and trains, Co-op survey finds. Over half of public transport users in the UK say they will continue to avoid buses and trains after the pandemic is over in favour of cycling or walking, a study of consumer spending reveals.The Co-ops annual ethical consumerism report, which has monitored ethical spending habits for over 20 years, this year singles out public transport as 'the biggest loser' of changed spending priorities due to Covid-19, with users reluctant to jump back onto buses and trains because of the threat to their personal space.
(Permalink) COVID-19

A popular Lake District attraction is to temporarily close due to the current situation regarding Covid-19.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Ullswater

A plunge in ridership at the international high-speed train mirrors wider troubles gripping Europes railway industry.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Eurostar

Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by Covid-19 the train operator is waiving the charge for refunds.
(Permalink) COVID-19 ScotRail

Passengers who have cancelled their Christmas travel plans will have their train and coach bookings refunded, the government has announced.The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said customers would not be left out of pocket for doing the right thing amid the tightening of Covid-19 restrictions across the UK.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Fares Refund

Cash refunds will be provided for people who had booked tickets for rail or coach journeys in England during the December 23-27 Christmas travel window but who are now unable to travel as a result of the latest changes to the governments coronavirus restrictions.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Fares Refund