COMMUTERS will be able to carry on letting the train take the strain thanks to a new contract the Government has signed.
It has entered into a new agreement with GWR and Southeastern franchise owners First and Govia to protect vital rail services across the South East, South West and South Wales.
The Government said that the new agreements will also ensure that jobs are protected in the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, providing those who cannot work from home with the connections they need to get to where they need to and keep the country running.
And in the longer-term, it says that tens of thousands of passengers are set to benefit from improvements including increased capacity at peak times, more front-line staff and more fares trials for passengers.
These will include major improvements such as adding new capacity in the Bristol and Exeter areas.
Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “We are taking decisive action across the board to ensure vital rail services continue, allowing those people who cannot work at home to get to work – particularly our NHS, emergency services and other vital industries.
“These contracts will keep services running in the short-term but also are positive news for passengers in the future, focusing on more reliable services, extra capacity and improvements to the stations they use every day.
“These are unprecedented times and the rail network is central to our national resilience. The deals announced today guarantee vital services in the short term and tangible improvements in the long term.”
These agreements will run concurrently with the Emergency Measures Agreements announced earlier this week which will see the Government temporarily take on the revenue and cost risk associated with individual franchises.
These measures ensure that key services will keep running across the UK.
Great Western Railway, owned by FirstGroup, has been awarded a Direct Award for three years, extendable to four. Southeastern, owned by Govia, has also been awarded a Direct Award for up to two years.
