A day in the life of our unsung heroes: Meet the sanitation stars keeping customers safe

The four sanitation stars, who are based at Edinburgh Waverley, Huddersfield, Hull and Manchester Airport train stations respectively, work throughout the day ensuring tables, seats, toilets and all key customer touchpoints on board trains and at stations are sanitised and safe.

Emma Livingstone and Paul Lynch usually begin their working days at 8am when they arrive at their stations to collect their equipment. The two cleaners then board more than 10 services throughout the day, joining new trains when services arrive at their destinations. On average, Emma and Paul clock up more than 600 miles every day and more than 3,000 miles every week.

Peter Feren’s role within the team is to work on areas that need high level cleaning across TPE’s managed stations, his work includes graffiti removal, jet washing areas and deep clean of stations to continue to ensure the safety of customers.

Daniel Klimowicz, who is based at Manchester Airport train station is tasked with ensuring all key customer touch points at the station are kept sanitised and safe. This work involves sweeping, an intensive mopping programme and a deep clean of specific areas around the station.

Emma Livingstone said: “Keeping customers and colleagues safe is our priority and I’m immensely proud of the work both myself and the sanitation team have done during the pandemic.

“On an average day my work takes me hundreds of miles across Scotland and England and I meet people from all walks of life. Knowing I am keeping them safe as they travel is what motivates me every day.

“A colleague and I recently cleaned and sanitised a train, though we had to keep customers from boarding until we finished. When we had completed our cleaning regime, we departed to a round of applause from everyone on the platform at Edinburgh Waverley which meant a great deal to us.”

Emma, Paul, Peter and Daniel are four of 150 sanitation stars that have spent the equivalent of 22 years during the past 10 months ensuring services and stations throughout the North and into Scotland are kept as clean and safe as possible.

Last year, TPE cleaners used more than 168,000 litres of cleaning solution was used, enough to fill 557 bathtubs, along with more than 2,233km of cleaning tissue, which rolled out, would stretch from Edinburgh to Paris and back.

Emma Teale, Head of Customer Insights and Improvements for TransPennine Express said: “Emma, Paul, Peter and Daniel and the other members of our cleaning teams have been vital in delivering an enhanced cleaning regime on our trains and at stations, giving our customers the best possible travel environment, and we can’t thank them enough for their fantastic work.

“From the sanitation teams to the conductors on board our services, everyone at TPE has played their part in helping keep our customers safe during the past two years and will continue to do so throughout 2022 and beyond.”

TPE continues to encourage all customers to wear a face covering, if they are able to do so, at stations and onboard trains in England as a courtesy to others. In Scotland, the wearing of face masks remains mandatory on all services, though exemptions apply. More information can be found here: https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/travel-with-confidence