Rail services restore 90 per cent of services as schools and office workers return

Train operators in England, Scotland and Wales will resume more services from today, as schools reopen and the government encourages workers to return to offices.

Some of the remaining suspended services are not expected to resume until December, prompting unions to call for the full restoration of timetables amid concerns that schedules may end up being permanently cut.

Extra carriages will be added to some peak trains, particularly on services serving schools, although trains can only safely carry around half of their capacity due to social distancing requirements.

Staff will also be on hand to ensure social distancing among older children and explain the rules on face coverings.

Rail passenger numbers are currently about one-third of pre-pandemic levels.

Rail Delivery Group CEO Jacqueline Starr says operators “want people to feel confident taking the train.”

She said: "Rail companies are doing everything they can to ensure people start the term with a smooth journey, including boosting cleaning, providing sanitiser at stations and offering better information about busy services.

“Some train times will change so we're asking people to check before they travel and plan their journeys for quieter times if possible.”

Transport Focus, the passenger watchdog, welcomed the increase in services. Chief executive Anthony Smith said: “The rail industry must focus on maintaining good performance so that passengers can travel with confidence. Disruption and any crowding from this will be especially unwelcome.”

Mick Lynch, the RMT union’s senior assistant general secretary, called the 10 per cent reduction to services throughout autumn “a retrograde and damaging step that flies in the face of the government plans to get Britain back to work”, describing it as a “hostile act that could usher in further and deeper cuts down the line”.

He said: “Any moves towards transport austerity with the purpose of slashing services, jobs and conditions will be vehemently opposed by RMT every step of the way.”

The government rejected suggestions that services would be cut in the long term as “inaccurate and untrue”.

The Department for Transport said: “We have asked operators to increase service levels ahead of schools returning in September, ensuring current excellent reliability levels are maintained while providing more space for social distancing and extra capacity for the future.

“With passengers returning as the economy restarts, our intervention means the railway is ready and able to support the national recovery from Covid.”