Recommissioning after Coronavirus

Yes, but. All this talk of how we can make things safe for passengers is fine, but until the government lifts its restrictions on using public transport "unless absolutely necessary for work" isn't it all a bit academic? I don't see how any railway could re-open to the public in good conscience whilst that advice remains. On the more optimistic side, it may be that as the science advances then even if the cases remain broadly stable certain activities may be found to be safer than first thought. I can't confess to have read all of this article yet, but it's certainly interesting, looking at the ways this virus is actually spread on the scale of feet and inches, rather than the broad nation-wide level or the microscopic level: https://quillette.com/2020/04/23/co...UFarQuUqs8o9Da1IdYjDcm_q-ARyyg8SrgKGV11kyh86U
It's also worth remembering that, as far as I can make out, organisations only have an obligation to enable people to practise social distancing, but there is no requirement for that organisation to actually enforce it, i.e. it's not the organisation's fault if, having provided enough room, a safe number of people still get too close. It seems some bodies seem to think they have to actively be stopping people from social distancing, and thus writing everything off as too difficult (wich, to be fair, it probably would be), but I'm not sure that's actually the case.

 

One of the issues to consider for any heritage railway that reopens under the 'New Normal' conditions, is that it would only need some one to post a photo on social media of passengers/visitors failing to adhere to social distancing requirements, for a torrent of judgemental rants/abuse against that railway to be unleashed. The fact that the railway concerned would probably have little direct control over the actions of these visitors would mean nothing to those reading the intemperate posts. The last thing that any railway needs whilst trying to re-establish their operations is a load of bad publicity.

Andy

 

Great article; thanks for posting it. (I've been big on Quillette for some time now - their discussion area seems to be one of the few places on the Internet where people actually have their brains turned on.) There might be some useful (and good) news about modifying lockdowns there, if those results can be confirmed.

Noel

 

I wonder if there will be a change in the guidance about social distancing (obviously - driven by the science ). A change from say 2m to 1m as the nominal separation distance would make a lot of difference in some situations; for example, I heard someone representing the restaurant trade saying it might change an unviable 30% capacity limit to nearer 70%, which might become viable. I can imagine a lot of lobbying is going on behind the scenes to change what the official advice is; and equally we probably have a Government that temperamentally is more inclined to err on the side of opening things up rather than keeping them tight.

Tom

 

That is a good point, not one I'd considered. It feeds into the latest British tradition of going to the park and then complaining about how many other people are at the park given the current situation!

 

I have read that the W.H.O. Guidance is still 1m. But the trouble I think is that if you say 2m, people will squeeze that down a bit. If you say 1m, then people are likely to get closer than that.

 

I would recommend that if heritage railways *do* re-open with reduced capacity, they have a 'base price' and a 'suggested price', with it made clear that if you *can't* spare the money, pay the base price, no pressure, but if you *can* afford the 'suggested price' please pay that to help the railway survive.

I've saved loads of money as a pensioner during the 'lockdown', I'd be happy to pay £80 for (e.g.) a GCR day rover just for me.

 

I could see this, combined with wearing a mask. It would enable a lot of society to re-open. Assuming decent mask supplies are established

 

WHO guidance is 1m, most other countries are either that or 1.5m, yet apparently it was decided the Great British Public couldn't be trusted to stay that far apart, hence the 2m separation.

 

Which is why we have the 2m guidance in the UK, and are then dealing with consequences like a carriage with 90 seats only being able to take 15 people on "mass transit".

 

That's fair, especially if combined with the chance to Gift Aid the difference between the two - though the admin could be tricky.

 

The issue for prospective travellers and all the best attempts by the railway to maintain the prescribed - at the time - social distance may well be the few that ignore the wish by the majority to maintain the distance. Visiting a supermarket, street or anywhere where quite a few people gather will often appears to show how difficult it can be when those who are absent minded, or just plain careless go about things their own way.

 

Is this the only heritage railway in Europe to reopen and will good to see how it progresses?
Is it run by just paid staff, or are volenteers used?
Presume the German government is not saying only essential travel on public transport is allowed.

 

Reading some of the articles, it suggests that confined spaces with limited air movement are really a bad idea - irrespective of how far apart the people are. Another factor is how long you are exposed. A journey of 1-2 hours in a mark 1 with the windows open over the summer sounds a lot more attractive than 10-12-14 hours in a mark 2 d/e/f on a railtour later in the year.

 

I appreciate you were not, I was just trying to make the point that a lot more time and expense is now spent on safety operational requirements than was the case many years ago.

 

Presumably the narrow gauge lines with 'open' coaches will have a ready made solution

 

That many railway volunteers are of an older generation is not a myth but it possible is a reflection that they have grown old as the railway has grown older. Is pretty easy now to find a railway where you could have started volunteering as a student and now be well into retirement age. Those old codgers, and I am nearly there will keep turning up until we have to stop. We also have a change in demographics, student loans mean you are far more likely to have to have a full time job whilst a student than in my generation whilst the elderly are more affluent, living longer and more healthy. On top of this the running season has slowly expanded, you have more midweek running, more special events outside the traditional holiday periods, e,g Santa and Halloween trains and railways have extended etc so need more operating staff. The older retired generation are going to fill many of those turns as the rest of us with a set few weeks holiday a year still have the same amount of free time. Yes the more of the younger generation the better but I don't think the reliance on older generations is simply because we cannot attract the younger generation.

 

So the solution is to go back to the birth of the railways where the majority basically sat in what where wagons with benches. Simples!

 

No but they will have a ready to hand solution for some of the issues - in summer!