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Since France introduced its health passport, travellers entering the country from outside the EU had to convert their vaccine passports into a format compatible with the French system. The government will introduce another system whereby travellers must pay for their QR code. Anyone vaccinated outside the EU, Schengen zone, or the UK must use the new system to use the French health passport, or they will be unable to enter cafés, theatres, bars, restaurants and tourist attractions, or use long-distance train travel. Travellers can now only receive their codes through physically visiting and presenting their passport and vaccination certificate at French pharmacies. Previously, travellers had to apply online or by email in advance to obtain their code. The pharmacies will issue a QR code, which travellers can scan into the French TousAntiCovid app to create their health pass for up to 36 Euros.

The Canadian luxury rail-tour company has announced that it has delayed the start of its travel season in the country until at least 5 July 2021; the operator had previously hoped to begin offering services in June.

Italy's main train operator, the state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, has announced from April they will begin operating 'COVID-free' train services, including to Italy's main tourist destinations, in time for the Summer season. As part of this initiative, passengers will have to arrive at the station an hour ahead of departure, before being subject to testing for COVID-19 prior to boarding - with train crew also undergoing the same procedure.

London's Luton Airport has welcomed the news that rail operator East Midlands Railway (EMR) is set to introduce a new half hourly non-stop service between London St Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway, the station serving the airport. The new service will be introduced as part of the May 2021 timetable change and is the first significant step towards a separately-branded ‘Luton Airport Express’ service. The service will operate using electric trains and run every 30 minutes between 06.00 and 22.00 (local time) daily, with additional late night and early morning services to serve departures from the airport.

The country's government has announced that from 14 February it will restrict the number of passengers permitted to travel domestically on long-distance trains and buses, in an effort to a curb a rise in infections from COVID-19 variants. Capacity will be limited to 50% if the journey is longer than 150 kilometres, and the measure will be in place until at least the end of May. Exceptions will be made for people who have already bought tickets.

The United States Transport Security Administration (TSA) has announced that passengers in the U.S. can now be fined for refusing to wear face masks during transit to limit the transmission of COVID-19; passengers will be fine between $250 and $1500 (USD) if in breach of these new measures on aircraft and other forms of public transportation such as trains and buses. Exempted from the requirement are children under two years old and people with a disability or medical exemption. The mask mandate is effective until at least 11 May.

The cross-channel rail provider has announced that customers can get a COVID-19 PCR test at London's St. Pancras International; the test costs £149 with results available the next day between 17.00 and 23.59 (local time), and passengers should book their test in advance but no more than 72 hours prior to departure. Although the testing initiative is in partnership with Eurostar, it is being operated by London Medical Laboratory - a third party provider.

A number of European countries have opted to suspend flights to and from the UK with immediate effect, following developments in the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of England. Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria have thus far confirmed the cancellation of flights, and further nations could follow, as reports suggest that Germany and France are currently considering a similar move. Eurostar has also announced that no train services will operate between London, Brussels and Amsterdam on 21 December, with further suspensions beyond that date possible.

We previously reported that the countrys’ governments planned that from today, 10 December, all cross-border rail services would be stopped between Italy and Switzerland due to rail staff not having the capacity to carry out COVID-19 safety checks mandated by the Italian government. However, in an update later released it was stated that this move was confirmed as being reversed, and trains will no longer be halted; services are now expected to gradually return to ‘normal’ volume within the next few days.

The UK rail operator has published updated information to engineering works being carried out over the Christmas period; from 25-30 December, no services will operate to or from London Kings Cross.

The country’s government announced yesterday, 5 November, that it is cutting the number of trains running to neighbouring Italy, Germany and France amid partial COVID-19 lockdowns in each of those destinations. Five Swiss train connections daily to Italy will be suspended from 9 November until at least 12 December, while long-distance routes to France will be reduced to two connections daily between Geneva and Paris, and one connection daily between Zurich to Paris via Basel until at least 1 December.

The cross-channel rail provider has announced that Eurostar trains will not stop in the UK county of Kent until 2022, due in a drop in demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Services have not been stopping in the two affected stations, Ashford and Ebbsfleet, since March - however the decision to extend this closure until 2022 has come as a surprise to many, and is not a decision that the provider says has been taken lightly.

South Africa's iconic luxury train journey on board The Blue Train will be resuming services for private charters from September 2020, the provider has announced; the move coincides with COVID-19 restrictions within the country being adjusted down to level two. Leisure travel will also resume with a full schedule from 1 November, and passengers will benefit from strict and thorough COVID-19 hygiene protocols.

The UK rail operator LNER, who operate long-distance inter-city services from London King's Cross to north east England and Scotland, is set to begin trials of a new onboard catering service; featuring mobile ordering, the service will facilitate the delivery of food and drink directly to passengers’ seats. The digital in-seat app ‘Let’s Eat – At Your Seat’ will be available to customers in both Standard and First Class.

The Canadian luxury rail-tour company has announced that it has canceled the rest of its 2020 season due to continued pandemic-related travel and health restrictions. Booked guests will be eligible to receive travel credit which will be valid through to the end of 2022.

The UK rail operator LNER, who operate long-distance inter-city services from London King's Cross to north east England and Scotland, have announced that they have released tickets for booking on journeys up until and including 31 July. During the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations on LNER services must be made in advance.

The cross-channel rail provider Eurostar has confirmed that it will reinstate its daily through-train from London St Pancras to the Dutch city if Amsterdam effective as of 9 July. There will be a single service (previously it operated up to three times daily) departing London at 11.04 and arriving into Amsterdam Centraal at 16.11.

LNER have published an update series of resources on health and safety measures being implemented for travel on its UK rail network, including information on air filtering systems being employed. Also included are updated timetables, in-station requirements and a reminder of mandatory PPE guidelines.

New Zealand's state-owned rail operator KiwiRail is set to resume its TranzAlpine scenic rail journey from 4 July onwards; the beloved train service runs between Christchurch on the east coast of the country's south island, and Greymouth in the west. Beginning with a weekend and school holiday timetable in July and August, the service plans to assess demand before resuming more frequent services, as the country expects its borders to be closed to international visitors for some time.

The U.S. rail provider is ending daily services to hundreds of stations across the country; from October, trains will stop at many stations just three times per week, on a reduced schedule that could remain permanent. Amtrak has estimated that passenger numbers could fall by 50% over the next year, and ridership has already decreased by 95% during the COVID-19 pandemic.