Trains in East Anglia are set to sparkle after Greater Anglia installed a new carriage washer machine at Colchester depot.
The £1.5m machine was installed in August and can wash up to 70 carriages per hour.
The new train wash is more efficient and effective, saving water, energy, and time.
Martin Moran, Greater Anglia’s Commercial, Customer Services and Train Presentation Director, said: “We are very pleased to have a new train washer at Colchester.
“The new washers will improve the quality and standard of train washing, as well as helping to save up to 10% of the volume of water needed, compared to what was previously used.
“Our new trains look great and we want to keep them looking this way for years to come, which is why we are heavily investing in cleaning. We are currently in the process of replacing every single train in our fleet to make our customers’ journeys easier and more comfortable.
“I would like to thank everyone who was involved in this project.”
A hand washing regime was put in place to maintain high standards while the new machine was installed.
The washers at Clacton, Ilford depot and Orient Way in London are also being refurbished, as part of a £4m project to improve train cleaning, as the company introduces new trains. A new washer was installed at Southend Victoria depot in March.
The train cleaning upgrade is part of a £1.4bn investment in transforming train services in East Anglia. Greater Anglia is currently in the process of replacing all trains in its fleet with brand new ones, which are all longer, with more seats, USB and plug sockets, fast free wifi, air conditioning and improved accessibility features as well as dedicated cycle spaces.
As more people return to rail, Greater Anglia is seeing some trains and stations getting busier. More trains have been added to the timetable and customers are encouraged to use the full length of trains and platforms.
They are also advised to use the operator’s ‘Less Busy Trains tool’ at greateranglia.co.uk and opt for a quieter train.
Face covering compliance is high on trains and stations and trains are well ventilated either by air conditioning which replaces air inside the train every six to nine minutes or by open windows.
Greater Anglia is also continuing with enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations.
