As coronavirus continues to change the way we travel, nations across the world have devised new ways to keep passengers safe on public transport, while others are getting back to their old ways having fought off the virus successfully. From planes and trains to ferries and even auto rickshaws, we take a look at what it's like to travel on public transport right now.

Long-distance trains and inner-city subway services are an essential form of transport for many workers in the United States. Since the 'stay at home' orders have been lifted, some are now getting back to work by public transport, but it's still incredibly quiet across most of the country's networks. This photograph, taken on Memorial Day (25 May) shows a fraction of the travellers you'd usually see on a holiday weekend in Washington Union Station, Washington DC. At the same time last year, 43 million Americans travelled for the occasion.

Rush hour in New York's Grand Central Station is now a shadow of its former self, with just a handful of passengers compared to the thousands that used to pass through this transport hub every morning.

On 8 June, New York City entered the first phase of its four-part lockdown easing plan, which meant the public could travel on its trains and subways. Face coverings are mandatory, and free hand sanitiser is dispensed by staff who wear face shields and gloves.

Trains are still fairly quiet, though, as this image shows just a single passenger in the carriage of a PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) train from New Jersey to New York City.

As England also begins to ease lockdown measures, the government has said face coverings will be mandatory on public transport from 15 June. The country's public transport networks have been running throughout the pandemic, but capacity and use has been incredibly low – as shown in this photo, taken at London's normally heaving Waterloo Station on 8 June. 

To help with social distancing, many stations in England have cordoned off seating and ticket barriers, as seen here in Victoria Station, Manchester, on 5 June.

From 3 June, Italians were finally allowed to travel between regions on public transport. Here, in Reggio Calabria, a passenger has his ticket checked by a conductor on 4 June before boarding the new Frecciarossa service. This long-distance, high-speed train now connects Reggio Calabria in the south to Turin in the north, a journey that takes over 11 hours and covers almost 850 miles (1,300km).

Before travelling Italians will now have their temperature checked by staff at stations, and social distancing measures, marked out by clear signs, will be in place at all times.

New signs and restrictions on seating mean that passengers can keep their distance and journeys will be safer. Face coverings are also necessary. Italy has suffered a devastating death toll of over 34,000, but after two months of strict lockdown, the country is slowly opening up again.

In stark contrast to many destinations around the world, Australians aren't forced to wear face coverings on trains as their harsh lockdown restrictions are now being eased after successfully keeping the virus at bay. The country has seen just over 100 deaths from the virus, and so normality is resuming for many – as is shown in this photograph taken at Central Station in Sydney on 1 June.

Some nations struggle to enforce social distancing, though, and in this photo taken in Bogor, south of Indonesia's capital of Jakarta, commuters can be seen lining up at a train station. While the country has seen over 33,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the government is easing its lockdown measures, so public transport systems are once again being overwhelmed by the city's nine million-strong population. Now, take a look at the world's abandoned train stations.

Thailand has also introduced social distancing measures on its public transport networks, despite only reporting 58 deaths from the virus. This photograph, taken on 9 June, shows seating in Bangkok's usually overcrowded Hua Lamphong Station.

Of his journey between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, photographer Chris Schalkx said "Thailand has slowly been opening up again, and I did not feel uncomfortable at all." As some provinces are still closed for travel, there are far fewer passengers and social distancing signs and seating restrictions means there's plenty of space between travellers.

On buses in the USA, face coverings are now essential and passengers are restricted from entering through the front doors or standing near the driver. Instead, all passengers have to travel towards the middle and back of the bus, and vehicles and stations are deep-cleaned regularly. This image was taken in New York City on 22 May, where restrictions are gradually being eased.

As with trains in England, passengers will be required to wear face coverings on buses too from 15 June. Vauxhall Bus Station in London (pictured here) is usually busy with bright red double-deckers and hundreds of passengers waiting for their onward transport. Right now, though, the capital's networks are seeing far fewer travellers.

With no tourists and very few city workers attending their offices, buses throughout London are seeing little or no use. This photograph was taken on a bus travelling over the River Thames on 12 May.

In India, buses are usually crammed with people going to and from work during rush hour. Overcrowding can be so common, that some even ride on the step below the door to the bus. Today, though, things are a little more relaxed, as seen in this photo taken in Mumbai on 8 June.

After two months of lockdown, restrictions are being eased and Mumbaikars are now allowed to visit places of worship, shops and restaurants. Wearing masks is compulsory in Mumbai now, but some commuters are going an extra step by wearing shields – a sensible precaution in this city of 18 million people. Now take a look at the images that show how coronavirus has affected the world's pollution

On 4 June, Uganda reopened its public transport networks. Here, travellers can be seen queueing for tickets at a bus station in Kampala, the country's capital. Lines on the floor mark out the social distancing measures and members of the public wear masks.

As the country has reported just over 650 cases of coronavirus and no deaths as yet, buses in Uganda are being disinfected before use and staff must wear masks to prevent any further spread.

And temperature checks are being enforced before boarding. Because of other infections such as the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), such measures are something many people are accustomed to. While Uganda reported some cases of EVD during an outbreak in 2019, its neighbour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has witnessed over 2,200 deaths, with the whole region taking steps to mitigate the spread. 

While buses and trains are filling back up, so are the world's ferries. The vessels that take passengers from shore to shore, whether on the Scottish islands or across the Hudson in New York, show there's still a need for connectivity by water. Here, you can see a staff member from London's Thames Clippers service ready to welcome passengers aboard.

Masks and face coverings are essential on public transport in England, and that means they must be worn on the Thames riverboats which ferry passengers between piers in west London, through the centre and the business district at Canary Wharf and on to Woolwich in the east. Staff clean the interiors of the boats, and tape cordons off areas to allow for social distancing.

In Australia's post-coronavirus society, social distancing and PPE on public transport is a thing of the past. The country managed to stem the spread of the virus fairly quickly, and so normal life is resuming. In this photograph, taken on 6 June, passengers wait to board a ferry from Fremantle to Rottnest Island, home of quirky marsupial the quokka.

The vibe on these ferries is much as you would expect – staff generally seem happy (as do the quokkas printed on the boat's side) and the public can enjoy a day out with little worry about contracting the virus. It's a far cry from some of the scenes still happening around the world, but offers hope for many other nations as lockdowns elsewhere are slowly lifting.

One of Europe's worst-hit countries, Italy is also seeing a return to normal life. In early June, ferries were allowed to resume operation as the borders reopened and travel between regions was allowed again. Here, passengers are sailing from Villa San Giovanni on the mainland to Messina in Sicily. Social distancing measures are in place, as signs restrict where you can sit, and masks are worn by all.

In New York, the Staten Island Whitehall Terminal is usually bustling with visitors and commuters. This photograph, taken on 25 May, shows how quiet the transport hub has been since the lockdown.

Restrictions are slowly lifting, and in this picture you can see a group of children enjoying the view. Usually, these ferries would be crammed with visitors snapping photos of the skyline on the horizon. Today, it's just locals wearing masks.

Planes are another essential form of transport for Americans. The country is vast, so its domestic flight network is a lifeline for many families and businesses. Flights weren't grounded during the height of the pandemic, but as restrictions are now being lifted, an increase in capacity is likely. For now, though, the departures terminal at LAX Airport is still very quiet. Usually, queues of cars line up to drop off passengers, but on Memorial Day this year, just a few could be seen making trips to the airport.

Inside airports, shops are closed and seats are cordoned off to ensure social distancing can be adhered to. A number of airlines in the US have reported up to a 90% drop in passenger numbers, and for most the flight experience has changed significantly, especially with no in-flight meals and duty free shops.

All passengers on flights across the States are required to wear face coverings, and on Southwest Airlines, all middle seats will be left empty to allow for social distancing. This photo, taken on 7 June on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston, Texas, shows a passenger wearing a full bodysuit as PPE. Here's what the airport experience could look like in a post-coronavirus world.

In Germany, where there have been over 8,700 deaths and more than 186,000 cases of the virus, the majority of international and domestic flights were cancelled during the peak of the pandemic there. Now though, some long-haul routes are reopening. Travellers are greeted by staff wearing PPE, sitting behind newly installed screens at Munich's airport in this photograph taken on 3 June.

In the capital, Berlin Tegel Airport was set to close this summer as airlines move operations to the brand-new hub, Berlin-Brandenburg. The new airport's opening is delayed again (after extensive delays already), thanks to the virus, and so Tegel remains open. The screens at this major air travel hub are usually full with scheduled and arriving flights, but at the moment, very little action can be seen.

As in the USA, bars, restaurants and shops are closed in Berlin's Tegel airport, and face coverings such as masks, scarves or shawls must be worn. Berlin Tegel Airport will remain in operation until November 2020.

In Italy, which was at the centre of the pandemic in Europe in the beginning, airline staff are back at work wearing masks and gloves, as borders reopen and inter-regional travel is now allowed. On this flight on 4 June 2020, travellers can be seen getting ready for departure on a flight from Milan's Malpensa Airport. Here's what the future of travel looks like

There's no more overcrowding on the transfer bus from the plane to the terminal, either, as social distancing is strictly enforced and flights are no longer running to 100% capacity. This photograph was taken on 4 June in Rome, Italy.

While the vast majority of flights were grounded in the UK, some routes, largely returning British nationals, were still operating even at the height of the lockdown. Now, airports have adjusted to the new social distancing measures by marking out queues and cordoning off seats. This photograph was taken on 8 June at London's Heathrow Airport – the busiest in the UK.

At Manchester Airport, this passenger wore a full face shield and mask for his journey (pictured on 8 June 2020). On this day, the UK imposed a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving into the country, regardless of where they have come from. Find out more about the UK's quarantine restrictions with our guide to COVID-19 and travel here. 

Finally, in India another major form of transport is the auto rickshaw. Drivers had been out of work during the lockdown, but now they're back in action as the country attempts to get back to normal life.

This driver, pictured on 2 June in Chennai, offers his passengers sanitiser before they jump on, and disinfects the vehicle between rides. There are estimated to be 1.5 million of these vehicles on the Indian roads.

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