A TEAM of specialist cleaners have been working around-the-clock over the last year to ensure the safety of customers on LNER train services - clocking up half a million hours of work.

The ‘360’ specialists’ work is part of York-based LNER's ‘Covid Secure’ pledge, which aims to keep safe those customers who need to make necessary journeys.

These behind the scenes pictures, taken in York, show some of the intensive work carried out each night to ensure the trains and stations are cleaned to the highest standards.

Warrick Dent, LNER safety and 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.”

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.

Latest figures show 504,520 hours of cleaning have been achieved by teams since March last year, 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 face coverings onboard are mandatory, unless exempt.