COVID-19 Impact on Railway in Automotive Industry
OVERVIEW
The pandemic started with its epicenter in China in 2019 and has been continuously spreading across the globe, so far 216 countries and territories have been affected with COVID-19, the U.S. being on the top with cases reaching to about 4.38 million, followed by Brazil, India and then by many European countries such as Russia, Spain, Italy and others. The spread of Coronavirus has led to the global recession, many companies are being bound to take stringent actions of laying of their employees, small business are being shut, manufacturing facilities are being halted. There has been a disruption in supply chain of many industries due to restriction in logistics and shutdown of manufacturing facilities. In addition, the slowdown in economy has lowered the spending capability of individuals and people are saving money for emergencies.
- According to Worldometer, the total COVID-19 cases as of 29th November 2020, stood at 63,059,560, which include total recovered cases 43,536,996 and total deaths 1,464,850.
COVID-19 outbreak has badly impacted the railway industry, further affecting the railway operators, vehicle owners, and rolling stock industry. With a substantial drop in travel, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted commuter rail, leading to boundary closures and social distancing legislation. There has been a change in mobility behavior, as growing number of people are working from home and increasing use of private cars, as compared to public transport. In 2020, a drop of 35% is expected in long-distance, regional, and urban rail passengers, triggered by partial and complete lockdown imposed across the globe.
IMPACT ON DEMAND AND SUPPLY CHAIN
The railway industries are facing a historical and unparalleled economic crisis, owing to the severity of the lockdowns, the related travel restrictions and the anticipated global recession, and further undermined by the effect of the associated global recession on employment and morale. Globally, operation and human mobility restrictions coupled with no-travel advice from the authorities have resulted in a drop in passenger volumes by nearly 80% for all national rail services during lockdowns. For international rail passenger services, in line with international passenger border closures, passenger numbers have fallen by almost 100% for both operators. For freight activities, the volumes for most operators have been hit with an average projected loss of between 10-15%.
Overall passenger losses are forecast at USD 60 billion globally in 2020, and this sluggish recovery will begin to affect passenger operators' industry in 2021.
STEPS TAKEN BY RAILWAY INDUSTRY
Some of the steps taken by railway sector in different countries include:
- Across China, facial recognition cameras are used. Technology is being developed to scan crowds to recognize the use of masks and persons with a fever.
- India, South Korea and China use metro and rail stations with heat cameras. People with a fever are asked to leave the stations or to get medical attention or be checked.
- In Wuhan, passengers are required, when they arrive and leave the metro, to scan a QR code with their phone.
- In Shenzhen, metro users are required to scan a QR code placed in each metro car.
- All countries studied have implemented new disinfection routines for trains, stations and staff.
- The GPS app AutoNavi can be used by travellers in Beijing to see how busy each metro station is.
Data, education and communication (IEC) posters and pamphlets relating to COVID-19 are displayed in local languages at railway stations and on trains in order to increase public awareness. They are also distributed to patients who attend hospitals as well as in colonies of the Railway. Public announcements are now being made and audio/video recordings at train stations are being played.
A total of 1,100 isolation beds have been provided for fever-related cases in railway hospitals, treating reported cases of COVID-19 with the availability of protective gear. Indian Railways have listed 12,483 beds at different locations around the country for quarantine.
CONCLUSION
Globally, rail traffic has been heavily affected by COVID-19. Therefore, rail and public transportation receive governmental support in many countries, but not everywhere.
For instance,
- In the U.S., USD 25 billion has been allocated to public transportation, where conditions for qualifying period for people working in the sector.
- In the U.K., USD 37 million has been allocated to support trams and metros in specific areas.
Moreover, there has been an adoption of new technologies, in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. This includes the use of drones at railway stations, the use of disinfecting machines, the removal of QR-coded physical tickets, the 'hotspot identification zone' and the replacement of stainless steel and plastic with copper or cardboard on commonly used surfaces in train interiors, among others. As a result, the current pandemic has interrupted the regular rhythm of rail industry; however, it also provides an opportunity for the implementation of new technologies, employment of workforce, keeping in mind the consumer preferences and subsequent transportation demand for passengers and goods.
