Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to ensure passengers and rail staff are able to social distance on the rail network.

The safety of both staff and passengers remains of the utmost importance. During the coronavirus pandemic, we have issued comprehensive guidance to train operators on the steps they need to take to protect staff in line with Public Health England advice.

In stations across the country, the industry has taken active steps to encourage passengers to socially distance (e.g. via train/station announcements and floor stickers), to manage passenger flows and to increase cleaning regimes. We have been working closely with operators to ensure that there are appropriate procedures in place and clearly communicated to passengers. For instance, passengers are urged to use the whole length of the train to board to avoid overcrowding in one carriage.

Operators are planning to increase service levels in line with the roadmap and the levels of demand observed on the network.