RSSB on COVID: we can be ‘cautiously optimistic’

Analysis of COVID-19 passenger infection risks shows that “we can all afford to be cautiously optimistic”, according to the RSSB. 

The organisation, formerly the Rail Safety and Standards Board, has been carrying out a series of studies into the effects of Coronavirus. It says the evidence shows a low risk to passengers, and that current projections “suggest that the impact of any increased transmission of the Delta variant will be very limited in terms of hospitalisations and deaths, thanks to the vaccination programmes”.

Despite the optimism, RSSB Director of System Safety and Health Ali Chegini said: “We do have to keep a close eye on variants and be open-minded where there is still some uncertainty. By monitoring the data in the way that we are, we can help government and industry be ready to react where necessary.”

The modelling used takes account of various factors, including train loadings, face-covering usage rates and train ventilation, as well as external factors such as infection and antibody rates, and information on the infectiousness of variants. The RSSB has also considered how passengers move around different types of stations.

Read the full story in RAIL 934