Road & Rail Wrap: Mary Valley Rattler’s return, Ola to launch corporate product Down Under + MORE

Road & Rail Wrap: Mary Valley Rattler’s return, Ola to launch corporate product Down Under + MORE
By Travel Weekly


This week’s wrap is equal parts road and rail, so there should be no complaints that you aren’t getting the best of both worlds here. 

Mary Valley Rattler to get back on the rails again

Heritage railway the Mary Valley Rattler will resume services from Saturday 13 June, following a temporary suspension as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary Valley Rattler general manager Mike Green said the first train out will be the popular Rattler Tasting Train.

“We have social distancing plans in place and our team are fully versed on managing our guests experience in line with our COVID-19 safety plan,” he said.

“We will be running very limited numbers on our trains. In fact, it will almost feel like a private tour!”

Green said the Mary Valley Rattler’s first steam train service will recommence on Saturday 11 July with a special ‘Superheroes’ event train, the railway will introduce ‘Steam Man’.

Ola set to launch corporate product Down Under

Ridesharing player Ola is eyeing the launch of a corporate product in Australia, sending out a feedback survey to customers late last month to “gain a better understanding of your company’s ground travel needs and requirements”.

“At Ola, we continue to seek ways in which we can evolve and innovate our product and service to offer new travel solutions to our customers,” the email read.

“We are currently focused on helping Australian businesses with their corporate travel needs.”

Belgium railway company fumes over country’s free ticket handout

Belgium’s public railway company isn’t a fan of a new plan by the country’s government to hand out free rail tickets to encourage domestic tourism and help boost the country’s economy.

According to The Independent, all Belgium residents will be entitled to 10 free journeys of any length on the country’s railways between 1 July and 31 December 2020.

However, SNCB chief executive Sophie Dutordoir slammed the plan in a series of tweets, claiming the government’s decision to hand out free tickets was made “without any consultation” and “raises very serious questions”.

“Free distribution of tourist train passes to all Belgian residents raises the question of the sanitary safety of travellers and staff,” she wrote.

Dutordoir argued that “immediate consultation and all necessary assistance” was required to avoid any risk of overcrowding of trains and platforms.

“At the same time, the logistics and financial aspects need to be clarified urgently,” she said.

Uber to offer drivers free Dettol hygiene kits

Uber Australia has partnered with Reckitt Benckiser to provide drivers access to hygiene kits made up of Dettol products.

The new initiative is designed to ensure that drivers who use the Uber app can equip their vehicles with hand sanitisers and disinfectants at no cost.

These free kits make up part of Uber’s $50 million global commitment to help provide equipment for clean and hygienic rides.

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