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grahame
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« Reply #105 on: March 15, 2020, 14:08:02 » |
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I am planning for any "silver lining" ... to be able to shift to far more home based and electronic activities including book writing  , web site and software updating and much more. If you are writing a book, may I be the first to offer to proof-read it for you? No, I'm sorry - you can't be the first to offer. Lisa had already pleaded with me to be allowed to proof read it . |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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stuving
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« Reply #107 on: March 15, 2020, 16:50:08 » |
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I've seen several comments on how little international coordination there is over handling this virus pandemic. And I'm not convinced each nation has much more of a plan - even the French, who generally do planning with more thoroughness than most. To be fair, any pre-prepared plan could only be vague and conditional until it came into contact with the enemy; hence we are seeing a lot of development of those outline plans on the fly. But is there a European plan? Well, yes and no. There was a proposal to do something for a wider range of potential crises: " Twelve proposals for improving the European Union’s crisis response capability". This was written in 2006, by a certain Michel Barnier (already an ex-commissioner) by request of the commission president. Since the question was "what can the commission do?", the answers are all pan-European approaches, from just managing information flows up to new agencies. As far as I can make out, most of the proposals led nowhere. For pandemics, the proposal was that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control should coordinate data and provide advice. The what? You, know, the ECDPC in Stockholm - yes? Well, you may find it a useful source of information - a bit like the WHO, but more local and less strident. For example, their Rapid Risk Assessment ( in full, a 28-page report) |
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TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 6438
The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!
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« Reply #109 on: March 15, 2020, 17:47:22 » |
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Economic recovery will come in the shape of a lorry load of spaghetti. Trains will be needed again, and the chancellor might as well rip up his recent budget now in favour of a new one better aimed at sorting things out when the dust begins to clear. There will surely be some sort of concession to the TOCs▸ , as the government couldn't renationalise all at once. Services may well be cut temporarily, enabling many more barbecues to take place.
In the air transport sector, there will be even more panic, and not just because of the mounting piles of duty-free perfume that seem to be very low down on the panic buying lists. Schedules are shrinking, and rosters will be reworked hastily to try to keep pilots current.
We haven't heard about the effect on shipping yet, but there must be one. That could conceivably be the worst.
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Now, please!
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CyclingSid
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« Reply #110 on: March 15, 2020, 18:13:11 » |
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A variant of Marlburian's comment; if I am going to get it I would prefer to do so in the next couple of week's rather than in a couple of month's time when things will be much more difficult. Not that I am going out looking for.
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Marlburian
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« Reply #111 on: March 15, 2020, 19:10:23 » |
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……...and the risk of passing it on to others? My likely preferred activities outside the house and garden for the foreseeable future: drive an hour in the car; go for 7-8-9 hour walk in the countryside, seeing a dozen or so people and giving them a wide berth; drive back. Big Shop at Waitrose 0730 one day a week (though I've just renewed my on-line membership so can use Home Delivery). Lots of handwashing before, during and after. pop into the occasional newsagent or small shop two or three times a week and petrol station once a month. Lots of handwashing before and after. (Depending on what sort of volunteer support is available.) I don't think that exposes me, fitter than most of my age, to much hazard. I bet that young people will be taking more risks - unless there's a complete clampdown on restaurants, theatres clubs, etc. |
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stuving
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« Reply #112 on: March 16, 2020, 12:53:31 » |
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Now a kind of reply from Grant Shapps saying what he obviously had to - from the BBC» : Coronavirus: Flexibility needed over train firms, says Shapps
The government will show flexibility over rail firms' franchise agreements during the coronavirus outbreak, the transport secretary has suggested.
Grant Shapps said he would be meeting rail bosses this week to determine how to "sustain" services amid falling passenger numbers.
He added that there would be no point running "ghost trains", but people would still need to travel.
The BBC understands some firms are in talks to renegotiate their contracts.
Such deals govern how many trains private train companies are obliged to run, as well as restricting how much they can charge for tickets.
Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme companies had seen a "big drop off" in passenger numbers of 18-20% last week.
"We're working with them all to see what it is we'd need to do to sustain them," he added.
"People still need to be able to travel to an extent, and some of that is actually about how many trains are put on a line at any one time and the rest of it."
Asked whether train companies could be freed from their franchise obligations, Mr Shapps replied: "It's quite clearly an exceptional international moment in time.
"We need to be flexible as a country to react to that, and I'll be driven by, amongst other things, the demand.
"There's no point running ghost trains any more than in running ghost planes, but those are conversations which are ongoing." We'll have to wait and see what that means in terms of service levels in the future - I'm sure no-one, but no-one, has any idea about that yet. |
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #113 on: March 16, 2020, 13:08:41 » |
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At a guess I would say there was a drop off of between a third and a half of passengers you might expect to see on various trains I saw today. Very noticeably down on last week. Should this situation continue for a while, as it looks like it will, then thinning of services on many routes and/or a reduction in carriages will be a likely, and sensible, way forward.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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nickswift99
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« Reply #114 on: March 16, 2020, 13:26:54 » |
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So we're expecting to see lots more 5 car IET▸ sets out?  I'll get my coat... |
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stuving
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« Reply #115 on: March 16, 2020, 14:17:20 » |
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So we're expecting to see lots more 5 car IET▸ sets out? I'll get my coat... Maybe ... maybe not. What logic suggests (though we all know how much that'll be listened to) is a new definition of "overcrowding" - based on a maximum seat occupancy way below 50%. |
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #116 on: March 16, 2020, 17:27:36 » |
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Some forum members might think this was an ideal time to use that newly available space to bring back the buffet car.  Then again, that might be deemed an unnecessary risk... |
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Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
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CyclingSid
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« Reply #117 on: March 16, 2020, 18:44:17 » |
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So what does the capacity of an IET▸ carriage become with a 1.5 - 2 m spacing between passengers?
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5206
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #118 on: March 17, 2020, 08:51:22 » |
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Expect an emergency timetable from 23rd March.
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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ray951
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« Reply #119 on: March 17, 2020, 09:03:20 » |
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Expect an emergency timetable from 23rd March.
Judging by the train in to Oxford this morning there won't be anyone left to catch them. And just looking at the long queue of taxis at Oxford this morning suggests to me that lots of people are going to lose their jobs and/or income; lets hope the government comes up with something quick. |
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