Recommissioning after Coronavirus

"Could" being the operative word!

 

I commented on the SVR thread but this is as equally inane here as there!

Patrick

 

I don't disagree Patrick - however, if we left the discussion and speculation only to the HRs themselves, we likely wouldn't have this forum for those currently thinking independently of those railways. As things stand, I've not seen options put forward that would tempt me to travel on a MK1 but I would happily endorse others who might feel safe for their families to do so.

Edit - leading from other postings.... I would happily pay rover day ticket price but not to travel on said train(s) but to enjoy at a safe distance from line-side watching empty trains!

 

They railways involved would presumably have to test the crew and participants immediately before each footplate experience operation? I don't believe there is any test currently available that gives instant results. Most testing involves the swabs being sent to a laboratory for testing, with 24 hours being considered a fast turnaround for the test results. There is nothing to stop any participant becoming infected during the intervening period between the date of testing and and the footplate experience day.

The railways involved would have to bear the not inconsiderable cost implications of engaging the services of a medically qualified testing operative, and administering the testing regime. The current cost for a single use Covid-19 test kit is around £150.00. I remain to be convinced that this idea is viable, unless an effective and cheap Covid-19 test kit becomes available that will give a result within an hour of the test being carried out.

Andy

 

It is a slight thread drift but as my wife is in the "fearful for any reason group" ie underlying health issues and over 70 lock down reduction may actually make things worse for us. Currently she has stopped me going to the Swanage Co-op and even to Boots to collect her prescriptions ( a neighbour is now doing that). But as this become eased some "going out" may be necessary, so an R of 0.5 or there abouts may not be of much use to us. Hence we will not be travelling on any Heritage Lines or regular service trains due to the risks. Not sure how any HR works out in advance how many of their market will be in each group.

 

My own railway the Swindon Cricklade has closed completely. We have been told by the police we are only allowed certain individuals to check on things for security purposes (ie trustees etc), but not to work there.

I would personally be quite happy if we could go back just to do some restoration, I am less bothered about operating trains as I don't work on that anyway. To me it is madness that we are allowing people to wander around many shops, parks, footpaths etc, but yet a few volunteers cant just go down and work in a shed providing we keep apart. If you are allowed to go to paid work, why not volunteer work ?

I think that for the rest of the year, visitors numbers are going to be well down even if the lockdown is lifted as many folks just wont want to travel on any train, especially families with young kids and older people. (ie the very groups that tend to be visitors), so railways might find that even if they run services that they lose money because the trains are largely empty. People will be looking for entertainment which allows them to keep apart and ideally be outside. (ie not on a train).

When the lockdown is lifted,, Railways should be looking at running a much reduced service and cancelling events for the rest of the year until they get a clear feel for how many visitors there will be.

 

They'll probably have a rough idea of age demographics, although that won't capture all those below a certain age classed as vulnerable.

 

Whilst a lot of things could be done perfectly safely, it dilutes the main message making it unclear, so I ca understand why things have gone the way they have. As I said above, hopefully it won't be too long before we're at least allowed to go in and work on carriages/P'way or whatever else that's not actually running trains.

 

The vibes I'm getting from various sources is that, as long as furloughing continues, staying shut will have the least economic impact on business. If furloughing ceases, then those railways with paid staff have the stark choice of getting rid of them or running a heavily loss making service to help pay those wages. Thus, if furloughing in the leisure and entertainment business continues into next year, most railways will stay closed.

 

The only way, it seems, you can maintain any social distancing on a railway train is with compartment stock - each compartment restricted to immediate families. A regulated entrance and exit regime would have to be made I am sure. It does not seem to be very easy to segregate passengers in open stock without structural changes. That in itself would deter many would be passengers I am sure.
At present there are so many unknowns about how the Covid-19 will progress: after an apparent slowdown how soon will it come back with any force? Can you get it again?
So much is uncertain, but as the country cannot afford another prolonged lockdown, economically or for the well being of the population. I suggest that only essential services will be encouraged, or maybe permitted, for the rest of this year and maybe well into next year.
The Heritage sector whilst financially beneficial for many parts of the country it is not essential There can be no doubt that many commercial enterprises that have arisen in recent times, will have to change their methods of operation or close.
So far most Heritage venues have been compliant with the Government and avoided stricture. One in the NW of England sailed close to the wind and the G&WSR may still receive some of the flak from the Cheltenham Race event, so full marks to them all. We can only hope that as the understanding about Covid-19 increases it could enable Heritage attractions to get up and running sooner, rather than later.

 

I'm surprised. CPS guidance as to what might and what might not constitute a ‘reasonable excuse’ under Regulation 6 of the The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020:

"A non-key worker or non-essential key worker travelling to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home [[..] There is no requirement to be a key worker or essential worker in order to travel to work. Anyone can travel to work if it is not reasonably possible to work from home. A request from an employer to attend the work place should be sufficient. But there is no requirement for the person to have any written proof of a need to go to work or volunteering. Police should not ask for ID documents or any other kind of document."

Distributed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing
https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf

Other heritage railways have workers on site

Patrick

EDIT: I'm not now surprised, the Swindon & Cricklade/S&C accounts show no employees! The guidance doesn't cover volunteers for non-essential work.

 

Just to point out there was no government advice against holding Cheltenham Races at the time, and the GWSR was one of the very first railways to announce it was closing when the government advice on the 16th March was issued (this was the one "advising" people to stay away from pubs and clubs, without actually enforcing anything).

 

I don't understand this assumption about open stock, when the trains and buses operating today are all open. My wife observed a bus on private hire for a factory contract with sheets of A4 with a large X on stuck to many of the seats, in a pattern that would force distancing; I've heard rumours of policies requiring passengers to sit in window seats and leave aisles clear on mainline trains. Within the classic Mk1 TSO layout of 16 tables of 4 it would be perfectly possible to mark some for use, and some not - though how you'd cope with larger or smaller groups (a family of 5, for example, or a couple) would be challenging to capacity.

 

I can understand the reticence. According to Transport for London yesterday 23 bus drivers and crew have died from coronavirus.

Patrick

 

People from all walks of life have died from Covid 19. Although the risk may be higher due to having closer contact with others, you cannot say with any confidence that these people contracted it whilst doing their job. If we knew where people contracted it, we would be half way to a solution.

 

But how many of their passengers? Ditto on train and tube. Bus drivers especially have a job that requires proximity to passengers, hence TfL moving to use of the centre doors on London buses.

 

Will they need to test the safety valves if they haven’t gone off for a while? I imagine all the valves will need testing on engines

 

By the time heritage railways are permitted to re-open, the main-line railways (plus buses and trams) will likely have already returned to some form of "new normality", so heritage lines will be guided by whatever is decided for the main line. I see that, in the last couple of days, both France and Germany have announced that face-masks are to be mandated on public transport.

 

Going back to the point discussed your points appear to suggest:

In considering how heritage railways exit lockdown and the safety of visitors, their staff and volunteers they should discard assumptions about use of open carriages because one can’t say with any confidence that the 27 or more bus drivers (Unite reports that 27 of its members) that have died after contracting the disease contracted it whilst doing their job?

I think the thread has become confused and I'm not sure if this is what you mean?

Patrick

 

Normal loco crewing practice (in the present day) is to observe the valves to lift at least once in a running day - some railways require this before going off shed.

Boiler tickets will be running at the moment - where I'm involved we did our annual steam tests the weekend before lockdown, so we are good until May 2021 (14 months), however I imagine that boiler inspectors may be quite busy at the end of all this dealing with all the locos which have fallen due in the interim.