ScotRail’s train presentation crews, reinforced by its Active Hygiene Team, are among the unsung heroes without whom trains in Scotland would not have been able to keep moving during the pandemic.
Cleaning procedures were enhanced during the crisis and continue to be so.
The lengths these dedicated workers have been going to in order to keep customers as safe as possible from COVID-19 is startling.
Since March 2020 train presentation teams have used:
- 59,200 disposable mopheads, which is like one for every supporter at Hampden with a few thousand to spare.
- 42,630 litres of anti-viral cleaner, the equivalent of almost 42 tonnes which is more than one and a half times heavier than the Statue of Liberty.
- 6,588 feet of blue roll, which is more than two times the height of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
- 118,289 bottles of hand sanitiser.
- 70,665 sanitising wipes.
- 422,448 disposable face coverings.
The Active Hygiene Team, formed in February 2021, has driven 34,000 miles, proactively sanitised 5,250 train carriages and made 3,250 visits to stations deemed to have high customer traffic or which are strategically important.
The trains are sanitised using a combined cleaner and disinfectant on all surfaces, proven to deactivate many viruses within seconds of contact. It is one of the worlds most advanced disinfectants, and it keep surfaces pathogen free for up to 28 days after it has been applied.
Onboard ScotRail services and in stations, train presentation crews are focusing on items and touch points that people frequently come into contact with, including door buttons, grab rails, tables and arm rests, toilet surfaces, ticket machines, gates, handrails, lifts, pay phones and door handles.
It’s also still mandatory for customers to wear face coverings onboard trains and in all stations in Scotland, unless they are medically exempt.
Mark Daly, ScotRail Acting Head of Train Presentation, said:
“Although most of the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, it’s important to remember that coronavirus hasn’t gone away.
“But our train presentation teams are doing everything they can to make sure our customers feel is safe as possible when using a train.
“They’ve used a mind-boggling amount of cleaning fluid, sanitised wipes and blue roll, but it’s been worth it, when we’ve been able to keep key workers moving across the country during the worst of the pandemic.
“We’ll continue to play our part in moving Scotland forward from COVID and into a brighter future with a rail network we are all proud of.”