How can you maintain social distancing on a train?

Like all other train operators in the UK right now, our focus is on how best to protect passengers and staff from COVID-19.

We’re putting on more trains to enable people to keep their distance from each other but it’s still very important that people DO NOT TRAVEL with us at the moment - unless the journey is essential or unavoidable.

If too many people try to use our trains to get to work, there will not be enough space for passengers to maintain social distancing – so please consider another way of travelling for your journey.

COVID-19 spreads very easily and sometimes infectious people do not show any symptoms. Government guidelines recommend keeping a minimum of 2 metres apart and wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces to help reduce the chance of un-knowingly spreading or catching the virus.

To help people keep apart if they have to use our trains and stations, we’re bringing in a few changes at stations

• We have looked at every single station on our network and worked out what measures we can take to enable you to keep your distance. This includes:
• Making it clear how you can keep your distance at stations with signs, posters, floor markings and tape
• Putting in queue systems and one-way systems where necessary to control the number of people on platforms or in stations at a time
• Deploying staff at stations to help you follow all appropriate social distancing guidelines
• Closing some facilities such as waiting rooms and some seating so that you can maintain appropriate social distancing
• Discouraging the use of cash when buying tickets
• Making announcements with social distancing instructions

You can help us to help you by:

• Following instructions about how you can keep your distance – listen to announcements, read posters and follow floor markings
• Complying with our queuing and one-way systems – they’re there to protect you and keep you safe
• Using the full length of the platform and standing back to let people off the train before you get on
• Listening to our staff and not arguing with them – they’re trying to keep us all safe. Please don’t stand too close to them either
• Buying your ticket online or on the Greater Anglia app and before you get to the station preferably, so that you minimise your time at the station
• If you need to buy your ticket at the station, please use contactless payment

You can also help us to help you keep safe while on the train by following our advice.

• Do not travel – and especially if you have any Covid-19 symptoms
• Use a face covering when travelling on our trains, as the Government advises
• Follow all Government hygiene guidance: wash your hands, cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue – and throw tissues in the bin
• Don’t leave your rubbish on the train or at the station, unless it’s in the bin, so that our cleaners can spend more time cleaning than litter-picking
• Consider travelling at a less busy time. If you’re an employer, can you ask your staff to come in at different times so that journey times are staggered? You may be asked to catch a later train if the train you’re trying to catch is busy
• When waiting to board, spread out along the length of the platform.
• Stand back and let people off the train before you get on
• Use all available doors and move down the train. Please get on and off the train as quickly as you can
• Don’t congregate at the front of the train on the approach to Liverpool Street or Norwich
• If you’re wearing a face mask or gloves, please don’t discard them on the train or at our stations

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We are following all Government guidance to keep you safe while on board our trains. We have stepped up cleaning, especially of high touch areas such as push buttons, door handles and grab rails and we’re keeping soap, water and toilet roll topped up.