After weeks of work on the virtual show, I'm faced with the first weekend for a long while where I don't need to get some work done.
I can do anything I like.
Except one of my favourite things - sitting on a train watching the world go by.
I haven't actually been on a train for almost four months, probably the longest period ever, and I'm really missing it.
Yes, I get that I'd need to wear a face covering and hand sanitise like crazy. There would be no eating cake and having a (non-alcoholic) drink of course, but at least I could read a book.
But no. Travel on public transport is basically banned and will be for the foreseeable future.
I snuck on to a bus this week. We all wore masks and sat nicely distanced from each other. The bus companies are making some move to get some sort of normal established.
Train companies, on the other hand, are still being draconian. They night be running more services, but stations are still plastered with signs telling you not to get on board. If you want to go anywhere, go by car, or bike or walk.
The message is that train travel is dirty and dangerous.
If I were a cynical person, I might wonder if in a few months time, a government that isn't well disposed towards public transport (actions speaking louder than words) will be making noises about subsidising services that no-one is using. Then, since the economy will be very broken, withdraw all funding. After all, why subsidise a service that no-one is using? It's a difficult argument to make.
I think the bus guys have wised up to this, hence the efforts to get passengers on board whilst keeping everyone safe. Train operators, presumably haven't twigged.
4 comments:
I'm no expert, but from what I understand this message(which is purely advice and not backed up by legal force) is imposed on them DfT.
In recent days they seem to have finally started to wise up to the possible long term consequences on public transport usage and lobby for it to be watered down.
The UK is somewhat in the middle, it seems. In Germany there were no restrictions at all in Slovakia they shut down the entire public transport system.
I live next to the main London to Plymouth line. Since end of March, virtually every train has been completely empty. I don't see how that can continue much longer.
Apparently, DFT has been watching all the social media to catch anyone going off the "trains are dirty, keep off them" message. Empty trains can't continue to run forever, the system is haemorrhaging millions of pounds every week. I suspect there will be a quick "you can get on a train again if you REALLY want to" message and then a few weeks later, a "surprised" DFT will announce that no-one is using the railways.
The government is currently paying my wages. I've been rocketing around surrey and Hampshire (and last night, Berkshire - exotic) in virtually empty trains.
I can sort of see the logic. We are running the longest train formation the routes allow to maximise social distancing. Our service level has increased to 85%. Given that the trains are often 12 coaches long, and the virus hangs about on surfaces, its impossible clean them regularly between journeys. They just about manage to clean the cabs (I don't trust them to do it properly so I do it again myself, I know what I'm going to be touching).
When the sun came out a few weeks ago I was horrified by the amount of yoofs and families who travelled on that weekend. This was before masks were compulsory (I'd say 50% of people adhere to that). I understand that people are fed up but crikey they were swanning through waterloo like nothing was wrong.
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