As you may know, the railway has changed significantly since lockdown began back in March. Social distancing should also be practised at stations and on trains, and face coverings are now mandatory for customers aged 11 and above, unless they have a medical exemption. 

South West trains have created a Back to School guide, attached below, as well as a dedicated page on their website www.southwesternrailway.com/backtoschool. 

At their stations and on trains, they are carrying out enhanced cleaning, focussing on commonly touched surfaces such as door buttons and grab rails, and at 100 of our stations they have also provided hand sanitiser stations. When schools and colleges return, they will also be putting in place additional resources at some stations to help encourage customers to follow guidance on face coverings and social distancing. From 7 September 2020, they will also be increasing capacity with further alterations to their timetable, to help passengers respect social distancing. Pupils can check their journey on the South West trains app or their website before they travel.