FOI REF: FOI/2023/4935

You asked

Please can you tell me the total number or bus drivers, bus staff and rail workers who have died from COVID-19 under all definitions from 2020 to 2023 (by year).

We said

Thank you for your enquiry.

We are responsible for the production of mortality data for England and Wales, this is driven by information collected from death certificates at death registration.

Occupations are defined using the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC 2010). Definitions of all groups and individual occupations can be found here: SOC2010 volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups

In the response to the pandemic, we produced the following analysis on this topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by occupation, England and Wales: deaths registered between 9 March and 28 December 2020. This publication provides an insight into deaths involving COVID-19 by different occupational groups.

There are numerous occupation codes attributed to public transport operatives:

  • In table 4 you will find a breakdown of COVID-19 deaths by sub-major occupation groups by sex.
  • Table 5 contains minor occupation groups by sex.
  • Please see tables tables 9 and 10. These tables contain COVID-19 deaths by individual occupation, sex and age.

Bus and coach drivers are coded to 8213.

Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers are coded to 5237.

Rail travel assistants are coded to 6215.

Rail construction and maintenance operatives are coded to 8143.

Rail transport operatives are coded to 8234.

Further analysis on deaths due to and involving COVID-19 by occupation is available as via our bespoke services route. Special extracts and tabulations of mortality data for England and Wales are available to order (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate). Such enquiries can be made to: Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.