Grant Shapps reveals personal journey planner to help rail passengers

Grant Shapps’ app: Transport minister reveals personal journey planner to help rail passengers socially distance during coronavirus outbreak by avoiding busy services

  • The National Rail service aims to help commuters avoid over-crowded trains 
  • It will stagger journey times and give disruption or over-crowding warnings 
  • Government pledged to pump £283million to roads, railways, buses and trams
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has revealed a journey-planner app to help train passengers maintain social distancing.

The service – which National Rail have piloted for one year – aims to help commuters avoid over-crowded trains by staggering journey times.

Disruption or over-crowding warnings will be flagged to travellers via WeChat or WhatsApp and alternate routes will be put forward.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps (pictured at the Downing Street press briefing today) has revealed a journey-planner app to help train passengers maintain social distancing

Tech company ZipAbout developed the app, The Sun reports.

Mr Shapps today announced that the Government is pumping £283million into roads, railways, buses and trams to improve public safety and protect services.

He said the funding, divided into £254 million for buses and £29 million for trams and light rail, would increase both frequency and capacity of services while ensuring there is enough space on vehicles to allow for social distancing.

The money will be spent on making adjustments to vehicles, signage, deep cleaning and the provision of hand sanitiser.

In addition, 3,400 people, including British Transport Police officers and Network Rail staff, have been deployed at stations to make sure passengers follow the social distancing guidance put in place.

Light rail funding will also support services in Sheffield, Nottingham, Tyne and Wear, Manchester and the West Midlands.

Mr Shapps today announced that the Government is pumping £283million into roads, railways, buses and trams to improve public safety and protect services. Pictured: A bus in London (stock image)

Mr Shapps today announced that the Government is pumping £283million into roads, railways, buses and trams to improve public safety and protect services. Pictured: A bus in London (stock image)

He also announced that up to 500,000 vouchers, worth £50 each, would be provided to help cyclists ‘drag bikes out of retirement’ and get more people travelling on two wheels. 

It comes after the Department for Transport announced earlier this month that £225 million will go towards creating pop-up and permanent cycle lanes across England to encourage people to use bikes instead of public transport when necessary.

Mr Shapps said: ‘To make sure people can travel safely when they need to, we are increasing capacity on buses and light rail, as well as helping local authorities fast-track plans to support cyclists and pedestrians, further reducing pressure on our transport network.

‘These measures will help keep passengers safe now, but we must also prepare for what comes next.

‘Strengthening vital road and railway connections, as well as encouraging cycling and walking, will be essential to our ambition to level up the country, secure a green legacy, and kickstart regional economies, as we build out of Covid-19 and look to the future.’

The new app - which has been piloted for one year - aims to help commuters avoid over-crowded trains by staggering journey times (stock image)

The new app – which has been piloted for one year – aims to help commuters avoid over-crowded trains by staggering journey times (stock image)