Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk of catching covid-19 whilst travelling by train.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, my Department has closely monitored scientific evidence published in relation to SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks and available mitigation measures. Based on the analysis of a wide range of sources, including academic scientific publications, domestic and international policy documents, and technical briefs, our assessment is that there is no evidence that public transport is a major driver of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK.

Throughout the pandemic, the Government has provided advice to passengers and transport operators to help people to travel with confidence, recognising the importance of passengers making informed decisions. This includes our Safer Travel guidance aimed at passengers, and our Safer Transport guidance aimed at transport operators. We will continue to support passengers as they return to travelling by rail.