Transport for Wales has announced that its staff are ensuring the safety and wellbeing of key workers who are using their services for essential journeys as part of its response to COVID-19.
The trains are being cleaned frequently both day and night, ensuring the trains are safe to use.
For the past six weeks, Transport for Wales has employed extra cleaners to cover both the day and night shifts at train depots throughout the Wales and Borders region. Additional cleaners have also been put on services.
Having recently launched a social media campaign, encouraging passengers to stay at home, the recent passenger numbers show a 95% passenger number drop.
TfW are still running 500 services daily to provide essential transport for key workers as well as offering free travel for NHS workers.
What did the officials say?
Leyton Powell, Transport for Wales Rail Services Safety and Assurance Director, said:
“The safety and well-being of our customers – the majority of whom are key workers is an absolute priority for us, as well as the protection of our staff who are keeping the rail network running.
“We are using an anti-viral cleaning product with a 7-day protection period, under-pinned by cleaning trains thoroughly at least every 24 hours, plus regular cleaning of major contact points such as tables, handles and anywhere where people may regularly place their hands.
“We have increased our cleaning teams to build our capacity for the additional cleaning required and provided them with the necessary equipment to stay safe themselves. As key workers they are all doing a remarkable job.”
Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales added:
“As we continue to fight this crisis, it's really important that we provide essential travel for our key workers and Transport for Wales are doing that in very challenging circumstances. The expansion of their cleaning capabilities to ensure the safety of customers and staff is therefore welcome.
“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are working hard to ensure our transport network is clean, continues to function and supports the country during these difficult times.”
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Will Transport for Wales might retain the Class 170/2 Turbostar units cascaded from Greater Anglia and to use them on other lines in Wales that might need extra trains to boost more services and capacity.
And for ScotRail to cascade some of their Class 170s to TfW. Or will the Class 170/2s are cascaded to East Midlands Railway when the Class 197 Civity and Class 231 Flirt DMUs have been delivered and in service.
As this picture shows of a TfW (Ex-GA) Class 170 train having a deep clean.