Austin SMYTH, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Nigel DENNIS, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
Eurostar was on the point of collapse due to the COVID-19 Pandemic until in May 2021 it was rescued by a consortium of banks. The scale of reductions in demand for international travel and services operated, and financial support from the state is in marked contrast to those exhibited by domestic long distance rail in most countries. It raises the question of how to apportion responsibility for the decline in demand and connectivity, not only for rail but also air services, between perceived risk of infection, public health regulations as they apply domestically and internationally, and differentials in financial support afforded to different modes of transport. Geography plays an important part where borders exist on the land and across seas. This paper provides a high-level overview of the situation as it has evolved between the UK and its nearest neighbours in Continental Europe and the Republic of Ireland. It takes advantage of a Government commissioned study of connectivity and travel demand between GB and Northern Ireland and between GB and the Republic of Ireland, that informs understanding of the significance of these factors and mitigation policy interventions to maximise the accessibility between different regions and states (Smyth et al., 2020).
Mots clés : COVID-19|Responsibility|Decline|Travel|Connectivity
A103696AS