With passengers facing a limited five-day travel window for Christmas, UK rail companies are working to make travel as smooth and safe as possible.
UK rail companies are working together to deliver their plan for the UK government’s Christmas travel window, between 23 and 27 December 2020. This includes maximizing area by working extra and longer providers the place potential, offering improved travel data and travel alerts, and extra workers readily available at busy places to assist folks with their journeys.
With all long-distance train companies now promoting tickets for the Christmas travel window, passengers are being requested to plan forward, keep away from busier occasions and make reservations for each their outward and return journeys, the place these are supplied. Elsewhere, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic signifies that providers on some routes are at the moment being finalized and individuals are being requested to examine their practice operator’s web site for the most recent data.
Though the overwhelming majority of the community might be open for business in the run-up to Christmas, planning forward is especially vital for these traveling on 26 December 2020, when there might be a restricted service. London King’s Cross station might be closed between 25 December and 30 December 2020 and passengers are being informed not to travel to and from the station.
The UK government has also waived change of journey admin fees for advance tickets bought before new COVID-19 tiers were announced on 26 November 2020, enabling fee-free charges and making certain that passengers will not be left out of pocket for complying with the new restrictions.
As a part of the trade’s safer travel pledge, rail firms are taking steps so that passengers utilizing the community can travel with confidence, together with cleansing extra regularly and utilizing highly effective, anti-viral products. Passengers must also wash their palms frequently and put on a face protecting, unless exempt.
Director of Nations and Areas for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), Robert Nisbet, mentioned: “Christmas might be uncommon for a lot of, and rail firms are doing all that they can to carry people collectively through the UK government travel window. However, this yr, more than ever, we’re asking folks to not flip up at a station and hope for the best. If people follow the recommendation to plan forward and book outward and return reservations for longer journeys, alongside the additional cleansing, higher data, and extra carriages which are a part of our safer journey pledge, everybody ought to be capable of the travel with confidence.”
Over £2.8 billion has already been invested to improve the rail community during the pandemic, when passenger numbers have been decreasing, to minimize disruption whereas nonetheless maintaining communities connected. Whilst many Christmas works have been postponed, some are needed and might want to go forward. Nonetheless, all efforts have been made to organize replacement transport within the form of buses and coaches so that people can still attain their closing destination safely.
Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s Chief Executive, said: “Our frontline workers have continued to work tirelessly throughout the pandemic to maintain and improve the railway for those who want it, and this festive period might be no different, with thousands of staff out delivering important improvements throughout our infrastructure. It is vital that we drive improved rail efficiency through focused funding work so that the railway can continue to play its part in Britain building again higher from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
