Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what enhancements have been made to cleaning regimes at (a) Leeds City Station and (b) all Northern Trains stations in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Northern Trains Ltd (NTL) has received and confirms that it has followed Rail Delivery Group guidelines on the cleaning of its stations and has carried out a robust cleaning schedule since the outbreak.

In addition to routine cleaning regimes, NTL’s process is that all stations are treated at least once per week with a long-lasting broad spectrum; anti-bacterial; anti-viral, anti-fungal; and anti-algal cleaning product either by static cleaning staff or by mobile teams.

Once applied (by aerosol or by direct application) it bonds to surfaces and delivers persistent protection, even after regular washing and cleaning. The protective layer or “invisible shield” attracts and kills organisms mechanically, removing the risk of cross contamination, resistance or mutation.

The teams target high-touch areas like ticket vending machines. NTL has also worked with its services contractor, ISS, to recruit and train additional staff and provide additional transportation to facilitate this heightened cleaning regime