National Train & London Tube

stphnstevey

Hi, could the people that have been on national trains & London tube be kind enough to share what precautions might be in place for COVID currently please?
Masks? Social distancing? Hand sanitizer? General feelings of COVID safety or issues?
Thanks

GingerTim

On the tube, I only have experience of travelling from the top of the Northern Line in to Euston - I'd say mask-wearing is still holding up at about 60% wearing them, and commuters are being fairly sensible. Outside peak times is relatively quiet - though can't really speak for Zone 1 - and the rush hour, while busier, is nothing like it was. I've not had to get on a train where I'm rammed up against people, anyway.

Butts

stphnstevey said:

Hi, could the people that have been on national trains & London tube be kind enough to share what precautions might be in place for COVID currently please?
Masks? Social distancing? Hand sanitizer? General feelings of COVID safety or issues?
Thanks

On the underground despite being mandatory mask wearing seems to be in terminal decline from my own personal observation.

There is no social distancing as far as I could see with regard to blocked out seating.

Similarly Trains no longer have covid based seating allocation and there is little or social distancing measures adopted along with a declining use if masks.

TheShape

You are supposed to wear a face covering on public transport in London. 

In my experience of travelling in the last few weeks face coverings are worn by a minority and few people are actively social distancing.  It's obviously impossible on some services at some times.  In much of East London I'd estimate that face-coverings are being worn by perhaps 10% of travellers.

Westin

I would agree with the other posters. There certainly seems to be a decline of face mask wearing on London’s transport network, despite I thought it being a condition of travel. 

When you see some TfL staff not wearing masks it makes you wonder what enforcement is taken for passengers.

soolin

I can only agree with the others. On TFL outside of rush hours there is probably only a minority wearing masks. At rush hour and in zone 1 and central areas there is more compliance. There cannot be any social distancing but there are some sanitising stations if you search for them.

On National trains there is no requirement to wear masks in most English areas and most people on the dozen or so journeys I’ve been on don’t bother, once again social distancing is impossible and on some journeys I have happily sat next to a stranger. There is hand sanitiser again if you search it out. On one long distance journey there was a minor argument where a seated lady was cross because someone was propped up near their seat, she complained loudly that it was illegal to stand due to COVID restrictions but a nearby guard quietly corrected her and said the train was full as were all the lobbies and people had to stand in the carriages. 

Train cleaning especially on TFL is a person with a wet rag and a spray and who rushes down the train wiping the occasional surface as they go.