Railways: Passengers

(asked on 8th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has undertaken modelling on the number of passengers planning on travelling by rail from 23 to 27 December 2020.


Answered by
Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait
Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This question was answered on 14th December 2020

The Department is working closely with rail operators and industry partners to ensure the railway is prepared to meet passengers’ needs. This includes on-going work to analyse bookings data and passenger travel intentions over the Christmas period.

Operators are reviewing their operational plans, and are taking all necessary steps to provide information and support for passengers. The industry is implementing measures to manage passenger flows at busy stations, including at locations that may be served by rail replacement buses during engineering works.

The Chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy, is carrying out a rigorous assessment of transport operators’ preparedness to ensure everything possible is being done to help.

As transport routes may be busier than normal, it is essential that people plan their journeys and book tickets in advance wherever possible. Operators are highlighting on their websites the services that are quieter or busier to enable travellers to make informed decisions, but we strongly urge passengers to take all suitable precautions this winter.

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