How will the rail companies entice passengers back after this is all over?

[HH]

UK lockdown TOO successful as public now too scared to leave house

MINISTERS have been told their stay at home warnings may have been too successful because most of the public is now too nervous to head out when lockdown is eased.

www.express.co.uk

I was talking about your claim that the risk remains minimal for most of us; what risk and what does minimal mean?

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I was talking about your claim that the risk remains minimal for most of us; what risk and what does minimal mean?

Well for one thing, anyone with the virus or symptoms of the virus would be self-isolating at home so won't be spreading germs. Therefore the only people using public transport will be healthy.

I can't find a link at the moment, but with the number of new cases plummetting daily in the UK and the peak long since passed, the number of people infected will soon be so small that the risk of the virus spreading again will be minimal.

 

[HH]

Well for one thing, anyone with the virus or symptoms of the virus would be self-isolating at home so won't be spreading germs. Therefore the only people using public transport will be healthy.

I can't find a link at the moment, but with the number of new cases plummetting daily in the UK and the peak long since passed, the number of people infected will soon be so small that the risk of the virus spreading again will be minimal.

Well the first point assumes that people follow the self-isolation rules. If we wear masks maybe they will think they can "get away with it".

Possibly the cases are falling - I think plummetting is rather overstating the matter - although the numbers don't show this yet, as the number of tests has increased significantly. Whether it has dropped enough to make the risk minimal is really an unknown until they have more testing data. Fortunately we should have that soon.

 

[yorkie]

The thread title is How will the rail companies entice passengers back after this is all over? ; it is not a thread about how the railways will cope during the pandemic; there are many other threads that already discuss some of the off-topic issues being discussed here.

Other threads are available to discuss other topics (or you cancreate one if there isn't one already)

 

[SuperNova]

It is far too early to raise this question in all honesty. Until there's one of A) Vaccine B) Drug to fight the virus C) The virus mutates/dies out then we'll be social distancing for the foreseeable.

When the time comes is about passenger confidence. It'll be showing people what cleaning regimes are and that travelling on our railways is safe. There's also a massive opportunity given staycations are likely to be favourable compared to going abroad for a time and that air travel is also likely to be more expensive.

 

[theironroad]

Enticing passengers back is a long way down the line, coping with increasing passenger numbers is the immediate concern of the rail industry.

 

[LancasterRed]

Marketing, through the heavy promotion of reduced fares or heavy promotion in general - there will end up a stage where the government wants people to travel and that's when the use of electronic billboards and television adverts will be at its highest to encourage as many people as possible to use rail. Perhaps we may see the introduction of long-distance routes on a larger scale to entice users who may be discouraged by changing trains, and promote the railway as an easy to use service.

 

[Belperpete]

I disagree. The "Stay at home" message has proved too successful to the extent that according to recent surveys, a majority of people are terrified of using public transport again, even though for most of us the risk remains minimal.

From a personal point of view I'm itching to get back out into the country at weekends; I must have walked every path and cycled every road within 10 miles of my house and could do with, quite literally, a change of scenery!

I think your last point makes my point for me - people are itching to get out and about again.

 

[Belperpete]

UK lockdown TOO successful as public now too scared to leave house

MINISTERS have been told their stay at home warnings may have been too successful because most of the public is now too nervous to head out when lockdown is eased.

www.express.co.uk

#
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country has passed the peak of the disease and promised to set out plans to loosen restrictions next week. But 61 percent of Britons admit they would be uncomfortable using public transport or going to a pub or restaurant. That rose to 67 percent for mass events, such as sporting fixtures or concerts, an Ipsos Mori study found.

Yes, but how many of that 61% regularly used public transport in the first place? I wouldn't be at all surprised if those who are used to travelling around in their own personal metal cocoons would be frightened of using public transport. What that figure doesn't tell us is what percentage of regular public transport users are not prepared to go back to using it.

 

[BJames]

Yes, but how many of that 61% regularly used public transport in the first place? I wouldn't be at all surprised if those who are used to travelling around in their own personal metal cocoons would be frightened of using public transport. What that figure doesn't tell us is what percentage of regular public transport users are not prepared to go back to using it.

Good point. I'd like to see that too. I for one look forward to some excellent journeys when the time is right.

 

[The Ham]

Yes, but how many of that 61% regularly used public transport in the first place? I wouldn't be at all surprised if those who are used to travelling around in their own personal metal cocoons would be frightened of using public transport. What that figure doesn't tell us is what percentage of regular public transport users are not prepared to go back to using it.

The other question is, whilst that may be the case now, will that still be the view of those people once we have a vaccine and/or treatments which significantly reduce the risk of death?

Whilst there's talk of people abandoning public transport, the assumption from many is that will result people switching to car use. Like it's the only choices are car or public transport.

One of the reasons people opt for public transport is to avoid the bad weather which we see. Now given that we can see what the likely weather forecast is for a week in advance, then it could be that people could avoid the worst of the bad weather by working from home.

However, even if that's not possible, even knowing that you'll only be getting wet (at most) two days a week would make walking/cycling less of a bad experience for many.

Another reason for opting for public transport is because it saves time compared walking/cycling, now again if you are saving time out of the house by not having to go into the office so much then that time could be redistributed.

For instance rather than leaving the house at 8am and returning at 6pm with a 30 minute journey time at each end of the day, people could then work 8:15-5:45 from home and 8:45-5:15 (with 45 minutes journey time at each end of the day) when in the office. In doing so their hours are done, but aren't out of the home any more than they currently are.

 

[Belperpete]

Another reason for opting for public transport is because it saves time compared walking/cycling, now again if you are saving time out of the house by not having to go into the office so much then that time could be redistributed.
For instance rather than leaving the house at 8am and returning at 6pm with a 30 minute journey time at each end of the day, people could then work 8:15-5:45 from home and 8:45-5:15 (with 45 minutes journey time at each end of the day) when in the office. In doing so their hours are done, but aren't out of the home any more than they currently are.

That is exactly the kind of thing that I did. Two longer days working from home, allowing two shorter days in the office.