Hull Trains introduces passenger counting technology to support social distancing

Hull Trains has announced an introduction of new technology which publishes the number of passengers onboard in order to help make socially-distanced travelling easier when services resume in April 2021.

This April a limited timetable will be introduced by the open access rail operator after a result of the government imposed lockdown across England due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This innovation allows passengers to access the Hull Trains website or app to check how busy the trains are, thanks to official data supplied by onboard managers. First Rail is responsible for the development, part of FirstGroup. The parent company of Hull Trains is the start of preparations to welcome passengers back onboard Paragon trains and manage social distance.

“We’re really excited to be welcoming our passengers and staff back when we return to service next week for the first time since 9th of January 2021,” she said. “Welcoming people back on board 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.”(Louise Cheeseman, 2021)