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Recommissioning after Coronavirus

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by johnofwessex, Mar 24, 2020.

  1. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Does seem to be not easy to find the current figure which could be 0.7-0.9
    (Last updated on Friday 5 June 2020)
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-number-in-the-uk
    Therefore below 1 and basically declining?
    But can vary in areas with North East and Cornwall higher. Scotland is lower.
    Does seem to indicate lockdown restrictions perhaps should not be relaxed just yet?. But the Government seems to see it differently and seems there is a 3 week delay in updates?
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2020
  2. Paulthehitch

    Paulthehitch Well-Known Member

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    Just for information, the IOWSR is engaged at present in making a quantity of wooden supports to be used, in conjunction with chains, in separating passengers joining trains from those leaving them. These are felt to be more appropriate to a "heritage" railway than galvanised metal barriers.
     
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  3. Paul.Uni

    Paul.Uni Well-Known Member

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    The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society will run Socially Distanced Brake Van Tours on 27 June and 4 & 11 July. To book a Brake Van veranda you have to make a minimum donation of £50. Each Brake Van veranda can hold up to 6 people from a household group.

    Info on www.afrps.co.uk/new_page_2.htm
     
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  4. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Good idea, it will look far better than cones and red/orange/pink barriers associated with road works and public utilities. ;)
     
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  5. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    The latest R number today for UK is still 0.7-0.9
    (Last updated on Friday 12 June 2020)
    As it is below 1 the risk of virus spread is basically still declining and the Government will continue it's phased removal of lockdown restrictions.
     
  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Yes, it's 0.7-0.9 overall but.......

    Sage data now says that the South West has the highest range at 0.8 - 1.1. The East of England is at 0.7 – 0.9, London, the Midlands, the North West and the South East at 0.8 – 1.0, and the North East and Yorkshire at 0.7 – 1.0.

    The concern is when the population moves around even more in England than it does at present -day trips to the tourist locations etc. It's all like a fizzy drink - fairly benign in the bottle but when you shake it up...?

    I still think that it's all about managing risk at each Railway, primarily for the people working there. Some may feel that their line is more problematic than others so I wouldn't expect all lines to take the same action. And then there is the need to manage visitors and numbers - a similar issue.

    I guess we have to just wait and see but doing nothing is probably not an option with the hospitality sector freeing up in July it seems.
     
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  7. jackshepherd

    jackshepherd Member

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    Didcot have announced their reopening date.

    "WE'RE RE-OPENING FROM SATURDAY 4 JULY
    We are resuming activities safely, gradually and in accordance with government guidelines. All tickets must be booked in advance.


    Numbers will be limited to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. Book your Open-Air Discovery Day tickets now - we expect these to sell quickly."
     
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  8. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    But is that a straight mean, a '2 Sigma' or '3 Sigma' distribution? Damned statistics! :Meh:
     
  9. Wenlock

    Wenlock Well-Known Member Friend

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    Luckily I didn't do statistics at school. So I can only get as far as "lies, damned lies"
     
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  10. Davo

    Davo Well-Known Member

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    I looked on mainline steam T.O.C. tours last night on W.C.R.C. R.T.C. and Saphos tours and it seems cos the gov have eased the lockdown restrictions, for after 4 july for alot of buisnesses and some tours in general on the sites above will more likley be running in mid July to early august but with strict distancing rules passengers wearing facemasks within the carriages hand sanitisers and saphos maybe other T.O.C. putting plastic screens up between seating bays, if the R number stays below one and shops selling essential and non essential goods can resume trading buisnesses and joe public can wonder back in the towns with facemasks to shop to get the country back to somesort of normality. As for the smaller heritage railways i would say it depends on the location in U.K. wether in a town or rural village can the volunteers the older ones and younger ones trust working alongside each other to keep the faclities going on the stations and trains use distancing rules to reopen use santisers to wash hands and wipe down tables and door handles and wear surgical gloves and facemasks and keep passengers can put their trust in to travel on heritage trains again once more post easing of covid 19 lockdown and IF an immunisation may get going if a vaccine has been found to work by then
    in the backend of 2020 2021.
    Davo 56F
     
  11. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    I see the face covering legislation has been issued today. Only had chance for a skim read but it seems to apply to heritage lines as they charge a fare and I can see no mention of removal being allowed to eat and drink. So no idea if that kills off dining on mainline tours (or how you have a drink on the LU when it is close to 100F on a hot day)
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/202 ... 592_en.pdf
     
  12. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Somewhere I saw mention of removal for eating and drinking "if reasonably necessary" which would certainly seem to cover having a drink on a hot day, but I've no idea about dining trains.
     
  13. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    If the government are able to relax the social distancing to 1 mtr, along with mandatory wearing of face coverings, then it may be possible for a limited reopening of heritage railways in July, at least that would save some of the season, and be an welcome income boost to many railways who are in dire financial situations, Personally speaking, I would feel safe in a carriage if everyone is waring some kind of face covering and doors etc were wiped or it was advised to wear gloves etc when opening, and closing doors
     
  14. desperado

    desperado Member

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    For me to really feel safe, a bigger precondition than face coverings worn and doors wiped would be good ventilation. The virus really spreads well in poorly ventilated enclosed spaces.
     
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  15. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    These regulations provide an exception on face masks for people who are providing a service - Part 2 - 3 (2)c. So this covers serving food.
    These regulations provide an exception for passengers who need to remove a mask to eat or drink - Part 2 (4) e.

    So dining is covered and is fine, that is, if you are prepared to do it.
     
  16. desperado

    desperado Member

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    Another interesting point is whether this language will be interpreted as applying to compartment coaches, either with or without a corridor.

    "where a person is allocated a cabin, berth or other similar accommodation, at any time when they are in that accommodation— (i)alone, or (ii)only with members of their own household or a linked household;"​
     
  17. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    A quick snack or a drink, maybe, but I wouldn't have thought eating a five course dinner over the space of 2-3 hours counts as "reasonably necessary".
     
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  18. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    In context, I’d suggest it probably wouldn’t apply - the context reads much more about sleeping accommodation.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  19. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    But they may get it some other way. The virus is now relatively widespread in the population (including those who have it, but show no symptoms), and it's very transmissible.

    Distancing is seemingly only about slowing down the spread (to prevent a peak which could overwhelm medical facilities), not stopping it. The impression I get is that probably most people will get it eventually; distancing is only delaying how long that will take.

    Noel
     
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  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    If that is part of the deal then it's 'reasonably necessary'. I think it's another matter entirely as to whether people choose to do it.
     

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