The Response of South Western Railway to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Pandemic crisis management is not something that South Western Railway (SWR) has had to contend with previously. As a result of the introduction of a crisis management approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been able to continue operating and to continue safely serving the needs of its customers. Readers will be shown how COVID-19 was largely unknown in the UK and when it started to significantly affect the nation in March 2020, SWR rapidly had to introduce new processes and procedures to combat the virus and maintain high levels of customer and colleague safety. Readers will also be shown how SWR has constantly sought to innovate in all areas of its response to the pandemic and how this approach has brought benefits to the business. © 2021 The Author . Published by Atlantis Press B.V. This is an open access