UK-based railway operator Hull Trains has announced the launch of Safer Travel Tool, a new passenger tracking technology to support social distancing when it makes its third return from lockdown on 12 April.
Using the new tool, passengers will be able to find out the number of passengers on board in real-time.
Data supplied by onboard managers will help passengers to check how busy the train is on the Hull Trains website or app through a simple red, amber and green code.
The technology has been developed by First Rail, a part of FirstGroup that is the parent company of Hull Trains. It is expected to facilitate socially distanced travelling when services resume after the third lockdown.
Passengers can also check the locations of toilets and priority seating to reduce people walking through carriages.
The rail operator plans to introduce a limited timetable on 12 April. The timetable will begin with two services in each direction on weekdays with an additional northbound service on Fridays only, and three services north and south on Saturdays and Sundays.
Hull Trains managing director Louise Cheeseman said: “Welcoming people back onboard safely is vital to the future of the business. As an open-access operator, we rely on revenue from train tickets sales.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to travel safely and this live tracking tool will play a big role in that.
“It’s important that passengers feel that they can travel confidently with us. The Live Train Tracker will help people to make more informed decisions about travelling by train while we steadily reintroduce services and build the business back up.”
