2 minute read
The railway is ready when you are
Angie Doll, Managing Director for Southern and Gatwick Express
The Covid-19 pandemic has presented extensive challenges. For us as a rail operator, we saw a very sharp decline in passenger numbers from March 2020; I’ve never seen the railway so quiet. And while we’re now starting to see customers return to the network, we know that people may feel a little nervous.
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While many people have not been travelling over the last year, our teams have worked throughout the pandemic, supporting their fellow key workers and NHS staff with their vital journeys; I personally feel really proud that our teams have adapted so well to support our customers during this time.
We know that many of our previous regular travellers are only just considering a return to the rail network - whether that is for work or leisure - so while train travel may feel a little daunting, rest assured that we’ve introduced a range of new practices to keep customers and colleagues safe. This includes the regular application of a long-lasting viruscide across our stations. This sticks to surfaces and kills viruses for weeks at a time. Across the GTR network, which includes Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services and runs from Brighton and Horsham through London and up to Cambridge and Peterborough, we sanitise all 2,700 of our train carriages every night with anti-viral sprays, again focusing on key touchpoints.
Angie Doll
We’ve also hired more than 100 extra cleaning staff to ensure the cleanliness of stations, trains and staff areas; we’re cleaning more frequently, with a focus on key touch points, and are ensuring we’re meeting or exceeding Government guidance. To deliver the best service we can, our teams are running weekly assurance checks on cleanliness, passenger messaging, social distancing and face covering compliance to make sure we’re doing all we can to keep people safe at stations and on trains.
Our station colleagues have certainly missed the hustle and bustle over the last year; they’re used to helping nearly a million passengers a day across the network so are ready for our trains to get a little busier and provide customers with any support they may need. To provide further reassurance on your journeys, we’ve also installed 1,250 touch-free hand sanitiser points across our stations.
The last year has presented untold obstacles for the railway industry and for people across the country, but I’ve been buoyed to see how our people have reacted and risen to these challenges. Now we’re making headway on our road to recovery as a nation, rest assured that the railway is safe; we’re ready when you are.
www.gatwickexpress.com
