Public transport is one of the areas of UK life which has been most disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re still being encouraged to reserve public transport for essential journeys, in order to avoid overcrowding and maintain social distance. Yet for passengers on the railways and staff who work on them, it’s more important than ever that train carriages are clean and hygienic. In this blog, we’ll focus on what we’re doing to ensure that train carriage cleaning takes place across the UK.
UK railways during a pandemic
During more normal times, the UK’s rail network is stretched to capacity. In 2016, there were over 1.7 billion journeys on the National Rail network across mainland Britain. That’s the equivalent of every single person making around 30 journeys per year – and it means the British network is the fifth most used in the world. Given this number of journeys, train carriages on the network are used multiple times every year.
Even with the lifting of certain Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in mid-May, the rail network is reportedly operating with a fraction of normal passenger numbers. Department of Transport Statistics showed that in the first week of June National Rail had only 8-9% as many journeys taking place as in the equivalent week in 2019.
This, of course, makes it easier for operators to maintain social distancing. Nevertheless, there is still an imperative to maintain train carriage hygiene to limit contact transmission of coronavirus and other pathogens. Crucially, many of the passengers on public transport will still be key workers.
Expertise in train carriage cleaning
Given the increased need for thorough cleaning and decontamination, the task of train carriage cleaning increasingly needs to be left to the specialists. When it comes to train carriage cleaning, React Specialist Cleaning we’ve got the experience and expertise. We work directly with a wide array of train operators and manufacturers across the country. We offer an efficient, scheduled and ad-hoc cleaning service for train carriages 24/7.
REACT is quickly becoming the 'go-to' deep cleaning specialist for a number of clients, especially those that operate facilities where cleanliness and hygiene are highly valued. We recently announced the award of a c.£400k contract with one of our most valued Tier-1 rail customers. This contract comes as a direct result of our standout performance elsewhere for this client and is a strong endorsement of our market-leading expertise. We’ve got a checklist of items that we look at, and we cover each point off meticulously.
We’re also used to working with a variety of rolling stock. Many carriages are older, so it can be a challenge to keep them clean where surfaces are scuffed, or fabric is worn. But it’s also notable that newer train carriages feature more seats, power points and air conditioning – all of which present their own challenges in cleaning.
Cleaning in the context of Covid-19 pandemic
Exterior cleans ensure maximum brand clarity and excellent visibility for both passengers and drivers. We ensure that lights are undimmed and hard touchpoints such as door handles, and buttons are clean to touch. As for interiors, and now more than ever, it’s essential to deliver reliable standards of public hygiene. Interior touch points, seats and tables, and onboard toilet facilities must all be kept to the highest standards.
We take pride in doing a good job. For regular train carriage cleaning, we focus on removing any litter, disinfecting surfaces, eliminating odours, and cleaning seats, floors and windows of dirt, fluids and food waste. For first response cleaning in the event of a confirmed Covid-19 case, we follow our proven infection control methodology. We’ll test, clean, disinfect and test again, all the while protecting the public and our staff from the risks posed by coronavirus.
As passengers return to trains, we’ll be on hand to clean more carriages
We know that the priority for passengers on the rail network remains getting to their destinations quickly and safely. We can help to ensure that they do so in a healthy and hygienic environment. Whether it’s regular cleaning or reactive first response decontamination, we’ve got the expertise and experience for train carriage cleaning, both inside and out.
Contact one of the team today to find out more about our train carriage cleaning, deep cleaning and decontamination services.
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Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of React Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector.