Southeastern to introduce colour-coded system to help commuters avoid busy trains
Train franchise Southeastern will from next week tell passengers how busy their train is before they board to help them better observe social distancing rules.
The operator, which runs rail services into London and the south-east, will become the first franchise to share such data directly with commuters in a bid to increase confidence that they can travel safely in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Using the “Seatfinder” technology, Southeastern will provide passengers with colour-coded information on live departure boards indicating how busy each service is.
The data will be updated daily, using train load figures from the previous week. The service works by measuring weight to estimate how many passengers are aboard each train.
With many more people expected to begin travelling back to the office over the coming months, Southeastern’s head of retail John Backway said the technology would help people adjust to the “new normal”.
“The next couple of months will see many people returning to the railway network as schools and workplaces try to get back to a new normal.
“During this period, many of our regular passengers will want to adjust their travel patterns based on government guidance, so we’re pleased to be introducing this new solution to the rail sector that helps address this”, he added.
The “Seatfinder” technology will be rolled out across 93 per cent of the franchise’s stations in a bid to allay commuters’ fears.
From next Saturday, Southeastern will operate 98 per cent of its pre-Covid service levels, adding 50,000 more seats to deal with the dual challenges of schools going back and a surge in commuter numbers.
As a result of the pandemic, passenger demand for rail services has plummeted as lockdown forced the mass adoption of working from home.
Although the number of commuters is now beginning to rise slowly, demand remains far below pre-virus levels, with many people still concerned about the safety of public transport systems.
However, according to analysis published by industry body the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the risk of catching coronavirus on an hour-long journey in a carriage without face masks and social distancing was a miniscule 0.01 per cent.
In turn, this was halved if passengers wore face masks, researchers found.