RAIL and coach services in the UK have been reduced – but routes will still operate to provide a link for key workers.

Passengers are being urged to check their journeys before purchasing tickets or travelling.

Passenger train franchises were temporarily nationalised this week to help them cope with plummeting profits during the lockdown, a move that has not been seen since wartime.

With around half of passenger trains removed from the timetables, freight, including food supplies and medicine, will be prioritised.

Meanwhile, the National Express coach timetable was also reduced as of Tuesday.

Managing director Chris Hardy said: ’We are still operating to be able to help those individuals with essential travel needs and ask all others to follow guidance and not travel unnecessarily.

 

’We have taken additional steps to keep anyone travelling with us safe. These include enhanced cleaning of vehicles, ticket vending machines and other customer touch points, and limiting capacity on all vehicles to a maximum of 50% to help customers to socially distance.

’Our drivers, customer service teams, customer contact centre and the wider National Express team are working incredibly hard to keep these services running safely. We are doing all we can to support everyone who works in our business at this challenging time, especially our front-line staff who can’t work from home, including paying company sick pay from day one.’

Refunds or free carry-overs are being offered to passengers who have already booked tickets.