Corona

[flexliner]

Italy is under virtual shutdown ie to the virus.
Other countries likely to follow.

What is going on with rail travel? Curtailed? Cancelled?
Here in Israel rail travel will likely be curtailed from tomorrow

[Benny]

In Italy international services are nearly disappeared and many internal trains have been cancelled.
I remember you that the entire nation is under quarantine and people can move only for serious reasons.

Ciao

[RRspatch]

The "Man in Seat 61" web site has just posted an update on European train cancellations and boarder closings.

https://www.seat61.com/news.htm

[David Benton]

No announcemnts from Kiwirail as yet, so presume no cutbacks in New Zealand. However , air NZ announced 80 % cutback in international flights so getting here may be a problem. Also everyone entering NZ (including returning NZ citizens) must self isolate for 14 days.

[David Benton]

Kiwirail suspends all tourist trains, which means 3 trains. Only a commuter service remains.
Since the announcement New Zealand has gone to level 4 stay at home , so that service may be canned as well .
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health ... 5w1hw7hbj4

[kato]

For an overview of Germany:

• virtually all commuter and regional train services have been scaled back by 50% - usually by running e.g. every hour instead of every 30 minutes, every two hours instead of hourly and so on. IC/ICE long-distance services usually run with regular schedule.
• regional express services have been mostly cancelled everywhere where they are not the sole service. Occasionally local trains are cancelled instead and express services get additional stops to provide coverage. Sprinter long-distance trains and other services providing peaktime addon (IC,ICE routes) are usually cancelled.
• crossborder regional/commuter trains (into e.g. Switzerland, France, Poland etc...) are typically all cancelled and either replaced (within Germany) by bus service or running up to the last station before the border. Crossborder long-distance trains (EC,ECE,TGV routes) are usually cancelled for their entire run. ÖBB Nightjet (sleeper train) services between Austria and Germany still run, but crossing the border on them is limited to people resident in Germany.

In France SNCF currently changes schedules on a daily basis (published at 5 pm) due to inability to plan staff otherwise.

[David Benton]

Thanks kato, stay safe.

[flexliner]

in Israel all rail travel suspended
bus services significantly curtailed 50% or more many lines outright cancelled
no public transit at all save taxis from Thursdays 8PM till 5AM Sunday

what's up in Italy? Slovenia? Croatia? UK? France? etc

[kato]

no public transit at all save taxis from Thursdays 8PM till 5AM Sunday

The first thing in public transit they cancelled entirely without replacement here were all on-demand services run by taxi companies. These services run to a schedule, but you have to preorder that you'll use it - used in very low-density areas like serving farmholds outside towns, or to extend bus services in the evening. They are generally run with standard taxis.

what's up in Italy? Slovenia? Croatia? UK? France? etc

In Italy high-speed and intercity rail has been suspended to "minimum service". In addition passengers are checked by police and health services, and stops are reduced to maximum one per city (to facilitate that). Intercity services to Sicily island have been cut off.

Regional rail services, like in France, are rescheduled daily - in their case called "confirmed" - regarding whether they run. The confirmation list of trains that run - listing each - usually fits on one page per region.

[David Benton]

The French use TGv's as ambulance trains to move infected patients.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... rlift.html

[flexliner]

Not truly RR related but with the not quite total shutdown here in Israel including public transportation to a large degree as well as most stores- there has been a proliferation of taxi usage. Gett taxi probably booming especially Gett delivery. Order something even like a computer pay 60 to 100 shekels and get ( no pun intended) delivery to your door within few hours.

[kato]

The French use TGv's as ambulance trains to move infected patients.

The use is straight-up derived from Cold War preparations. European nations at the time kepts military staff for trains ready to move large numbers of wounded soldiers.

The trains themselves aren't modified for this practice. Instead the stretchers are basically positioned across the backrests of multiple seats. In the TGV Dupleix used in this operation due to relatively tight spaces this was rather complicated.

Video of the train used, patients moved in during the second half:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqFYK2JVeOk

[Arborwayfan]

I came here about the TGV, too, with this story from Nowegian National Broadcasting (in Norwegian, but with good pictures). A key idea is that they chose trains because they are stable at high speed and have room for equipment. They have made them into mobile ICUs.
https://www.nrk.no/urix/koronasyke-evak ... 1.14965648

[David Benton]

Thanks all.
Somewhere, in the back of my brain, bells are ringing about an early TGV picture , of a set been set aside , or partly reserved, for military use, if required. It struck me as odd , as you would think any military/ emergency train would be diesel for a start, and able to travel all routes.
Maybe something like this is what they had in mind.

[johnthefireman]

Kenya has shut down the Standard Gauge Railway passenger service, as all travel in and out of both Nairobi and Mombasa is banned.

South Africa has also shut down most passenger services, including the Blue Train.

Freight still continues.