How to get people back on trains post COVID-19?

[MDB1images]

I suspect all TOCs will have plans for getting passengers back be it commuter, leisure or business/1st class, certainly my TOC has numerous ideas it plans to implement that I think will do a good job of getting people back on board.

I don't see that happening for a few months yet as Train use is already building up and I suspect the Government doesn't want to risk trains becoming full with little or no social distancing with the risk that may bring whilst they have concerns about the virus still spreading.

 

[YorksDMU]

Yes, I heard that too. I spoke to a Northern guard on Friday evening and she said the stupid "out of use" sashes are going from tomorrow as well.

I’ve just got home from a windy but invigorating cycle ride, and just seen this. It has made my day! Thank you for posting it. I may get a bit tipsy tonight in celebration!
Now what we need, urgently, is to get a full timetable restored......

 

[PTR 444]

I think whatever strategy is used to entice passengers will come with some sort of risk in the form of trains becoming overcrowded, particularly as many routes need to be near capacity in order to make a profit.

Personally, I think any incentives should be targeted around getting people to travel at quieter times of the day for 1/3 cheaper than usual walk up fares. In addition, offering a set number of cheap last minute tickets would be good as that would reassure people who are worried about booking days or weeks in advance, in the event that their place of origin/destination could get locked down on the day of travel.

 

[Cowley]

We’ve locked this for now folks because it keeps disappearing off into all kinds of different directions and we seem to be a long way from actually ‘enticing’ people back onto trains.
If things change then we’ll reopen it, but for now it’ll make our work a little bit easier if we use the existing threads that seem to be covering most of what’s useful when it comes to public transport.
Thank you.