ScotRail covers train faces to encourage passengers to do the same

Power car 43129 wears its face mask on an Aberdeen to Edinburgh service.

As worrying reports continue to come in of train passengers not wearing face coverings for all or part of their journey, two of ScotRail’s iconic high-speed Inter7City trains have covered their faces to help raise awareness that it is now mandatory to wear face coverings on trains and in stations.

Currently, the train operator estimates that only 60 per cent – and in some cases as little as 40 per cent – of customers traveling on some routes are covering their faces. Some customers are also removing their face covering once on board trains.

To encourage them to keep masks on at all times, ScotRail has applied custom face covering vinyl to the power-cars (43021 & 43181 and 43129 & 43145) of two of its Inter7City trains, which operate on routes connecting Scotland’s seven cities.

Scotrail staff, as well as passengers, have to wear face coverings on all services at all times.

ScotRail has also given away more than 20,000 free face coverings to help people get used to the new normal for rail travel, while staff across Scotland’s Railway have also been provided with face coverings, masks, and visors to help keep them, and customers, safe.

Syeda Ghufran, ScotRail’s engineering director, said: “While it’s encouraging to see that most people across the country are following the requirement and covering their face when travelling, we need everyone to take personal responsibility for their travel choices.

“The mandatory wearing of face coverings helps keep you, your fellow customers, and our people safe.

“By applying a face covering to two of our iconic high-speed Inter7City trains, we hope to help raise more awareness about the mandatory wearing of face coverings on our trains and in our stations.”