The government has signed new contracts with Great Western Railway (GWR) and Southeastern to ensure vital train services keep running during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department for Transport (DfT) says new agreements with Govia and First will ensure that those who still need to travel can continue to do so on the railways.
They will also ensure that jobs are protected in the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the coronavirus crisis, providing those who cannot work from home, such as NHS workers, with essential travel.
In the longer-term, the DfT says tens of thousands of passengers will benefit from improvements including increased capacity at peak times, more front-line staff and more fares trials for passengers once the rail network returns to normal.
Major improvements to be delivered by GWR include the planned introduction of additional 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."
