A team of 360 specialists have been working around-the-clock delivering more than half a million hours of enhanced cleaning this past year. It’s part of London North Eastern Railway’s (LNER) ‘Covid Secure’ pledge to keep safe those customers who need to make necessary journeys.

LNER has released behind the scenes images showing some of the intensive work being carried out each night to ensure its trains and stations are cleaned to the highest standards before passenger services resume the next day.

As trains reach their final destinations, they are met by teams equipped with high-grade equipment and sustainable products, who spend several hours deep cleaning customer touch points, surfaces and toilets. They use a two-stage disinfectant process, steam clean and ‘fogging devices’, which kills viruses on hard surfaces.

Warrick Dent, LNER Safety & Operations Director said: “Our overnight teams can carry out more intensive cleaning while there are no customers onboard. Combined with enhanced cleaning during the day, this means customers who need to make necessary journeys can do so with confidence. The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority. We know how important it is that people feel safe.”

Record levels of cleaning have been carried out in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, with an army of 360 cleaners working across the LNER route, the highest number to date.

Latest figures show 504,520 hours of cleaning have been achieved by teams since March 2020, with more than 13,300 hours spent deep cleaning stations and 290,000 litres of sustainable cleaning chemicals used. Regular routine swab tests for traces of Covid-19 on high-frequency touch points have been carried out since July 2020.  

LNER services are reservation only to ensure social distancing and the wearing of face coverings onboard and in stations is mandatory, apart from people who are exempt.