Peterborough rail passengers reminded to wear masks on trains and in stations from Monday

Rail passengers are being reminded that they must wear face coverings on Greater Anglia’s stations and trains from Monday (June 15), following the Government announcement.

More shops and businesses are due to re-open on Monday, as lockdown is gradually eased, which means more people could be using trains to travel to work.

Current Government advice is to avoid public transport and to only travel by train if you need to and you cannot travel another way, in which case you must wear a face covering.

Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or illness which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them – and are still able to travel by train.

Greater Anglia staff will be encouraging customers to wear face coverings – which could be a scarf or bandanna or a face mask - to comply with the new regulation.

Greater Anglia has introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to maintain social distancing at stations and on trains. Wearing face coverings can also help to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Greater Anglia has installed floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems, as well as closing some facilities such as benches and waiting rooms to make it easier for customers to socially distance at stations.

People are advised to spend as little time at stations as possible – buying tickets online or via the Greater Anglia app or using contactless payment at vending machines if they have to buy tickets at the station.

Passengers should remain in their seat until they reach their destination, rather than walking down to the front of the train.

The train company is currently running a revised timetable similar to Saturday service and monitoring passenger numbers on daily basis. As a result of rising customer numbers on some trains, from Monday the frequency of services between Bishops Stortford and Stratford, and between Meridian Water and Stratford, will both increase from hourly to half hourly, and one extra early morning service will operate between Colchester and London Liverpool Street.