Customer Panel Update - from Caroline Cummins, GWR Customer Engagement Manager

[whole diary]

[grahame]

1. Official advice from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)
2. Cover letter
3. Full advice

Official advice from GWR:

Thank you for keeping your distance, for your safety and the safety offer staff

All customers are asked to follow these guidelines while travelling

Plan ahead
* Buy your tickets in advance here or on the GWR app – avoid queueing at stations and buy online, using eTickets downloaded to your mobile where possible
* Allow more time for your journey – you might be asked to follow a one-way system at certain stations, and follow social distancing guidelines wherever possible, including platforms, lifts, escalators, toilets and on trains
* Try to travel when it’s quieter, especially avoiding peak morning and evening travel times. Travel between 10.00 – 15.00 and after 19.00 on weekdays if possible
* Check your journey before you leave, as there may be changes to the timetable

Consider others
* Maintain social distancing, with fellow passengers, staff and the British Transport Police
* Follow staff advice and signs at stations and on our trains
* Spread out along the platforms as much as possible
* Wear a mask or face covering if you can
* Stay on the platform until people get off the train, and keep the vestibules free

Stay safe
* Use contactless to pay wherever you can
* Use hand sanitiser and wash your hands regularly
* Bring your own food and drink, as we have no catering on our trains
* Plan Ahead. Consider Others. Stay Safe

What we're doing to help
* We’re taking various measures to keep our customers and staff safe:
* Cleaning stations and trains more frequently throughout the day, every day Limiting the number of people on trains and in stations
* Extra signs to help you find your way and maintain social distancing Running as many services as we can, including longer trains
* Reducing the number of ticket windows and ticket machines to enable social distancing Waiting rooms at stations may be closed
* No food or drink on our trains
* Pullman dining is no longer available on our trains until further notice
* The First Class lounges at Paddington and Cardiff, and the Night Riviera Sleeper lounges in Truro and Penzance, are closed until further notice

Plan Ahead, Consider Others, Stay Safe



From next week we will gradually add more services to enable easier social distancing
An amended timetable will be in place from Monday 18 May, the number of services will increase while still following public health advice. More information is available here. Online journey planners have been updated with the new train times, please check your journey before you travel at GWR.com

Ticket Refund Requests

The COVID-19 lockdown led to an unprecedented volume of refund requests being made at the end of March, and we have continued to receive further requests throughout April.

Our dedicated refunds team are working extremely hard dealing with each and every request we’ve received, and to returning any money that is due. This is taking longer than it normally would, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this is causing.

To speed things up we’ve made it easier for refunds to be made, have improved our internal processes and on average it is currently taking us 26 days to deal with a refund request. We’ll regularly update this figure at GWR.com when it changes.

To find out more visit https://GWR.com/Safety


Covering letter to Customer Panel members

Welcome,

Welcome to the Customer Panel Update, bringing you the latest information from the Great Western Railway network.

Firstly, I hope you, your family and friends are staying safe and well.

While we all continue to adjust to our changing world, our team has worked hard to keep services running for the essential workers who are the backbone of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Now, as the nation prepares to enter the next phase of its response, we will be stepping up our support.

As the government has said, social distancing means there will be space for only a fraction of the usual number of passengers on the railway. So we need people to only travel on our trains if they really have to, and they cannot use another means of transport. This will keep the railway free for those who need it most, to get to where they need to safely.

The government is encouraging people who need to go to work to do so by car, bike or foot if possible.  If you live in Wales or Scotland, the message remains to stay at home unless you are an essential worker.

This edition gives an overview of what we're doing to keep services running and to meet the government guidelines.  As always if you have any feedback, comments or questions about this newsletter or any aspect of GWR please do get in touch at caroline.cummins@gwr.com

Best wishes
Caroline
Customer Engagement Manager

Full advice

Link - http://www.passenger.chat/gwr_advise_panel_20200515.pdf

[ChrisB]

With respect, Graham - the word is 'advice' when given, and 'advise' when you do the giving of advice. Advise is a verb.

[grahame]

With respect, Graham - the word is 'advice' when given, and 'advise' when you do the giving of advice. Advise is a verb.

I always get that wrong!  (and I appreciate the back-text when someone starts a post "with respect" ...).   Will go back and correct original as it's a key post.

[bobm]

Advice from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for this weekend for anyone thinking of travelling to or in the South West.

Avoid using the train in Devon and Cornwall this Bank Holiday weekend, warns operator
Thursday 21st May 2020


Is your journey really necessary? asks GWR

Train operator GWR is reminding customers prior to the Bank Holiday weekend to avoid travelling by train, and to only use the services if really necessary, freeing up space for essential journeys.

Social distancing guidance means that seats have been blocked off and trains can only carry about a tenth of the usual number of passengers. This significantly reduces the number of people who can safely travel on a service.

To allow people who have to travel the best opportunity to do so safely, GWR is asking customers to consider if their journey is really necessary and to not use trains for leisure purposes or for their daily exercise.

GWR Interim Managing Director Matthew Golton said:

“With social distancing guidance in place we are able to carry as little as a tenth of the usual number of passengers, and customers are not yet able to use trains as freely as they once did.

“We are doing everything we can to carry as many people, safely, as we can. This will make sure that those who absolutely need to travel by train can do so. But I must ask you, is your journey really necessary?”

The company is doing everything it can to enable social distancing to be adhered at stations and on board but warns that it may not be possible at all points throughout a journey.

Despite the train operator increasing the number of services in accordance with the Government’s easement strategy, even if GWR was to return to their pre-lockdown timetable, only a fraction of travellers would be able to safely socially distance once on board.

[grahame]

Updated advice from the Community Rail Network - I am adding it on this thread as it is linked from the home page of the Coffee Shop

Advice on travel – essential journeys only

We encourage our members to promote official government advice on public transport, as it applies in your country or area (see England, Scotland, Wales). The official advice across Britain remains that only essential journeys should be made by public transport, by those who cannot work from home and cannot travel another way. Community rail can also promote safe travel guidance for those who continue to depend on public transport, including:

* Do not travel if you feel unwell or have symptoms.
* Continue to keep your distance and remain 2 metres away from other people. Many train operators now mark out which seats on a train can be used and where to wait at stations.
* Ensure you wear face coverings on trains at all times (guidance is available on how to make a simple one at home). This is mandatory in England from 15 June and is recommended in Scotland and Wales.
* It’s a good idea to keep face coverings on in public places, including at stations, to protect people around you.
* Wash your hands before and after your journey and carry your own hand sanitiser for use while travelling.
* Travel during off-peak hours where possible. Be aware of restrictions specific to a station or train operator (some are now reservation only) and check websites and apps to see how busy trains are where this is available.
* Be alert to changes in how you enter and exit or move around stations. In some larger stations queueing systems have been introduced.

[grahame]

Update from Matthew Golton:

https://www.facebook.com/gwruk/videos/921751238290506/