ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A north of England train company is enhancing its cleaning programme - and will be creating 57 new jobs in the process.

TransPennine Express operates services throughout Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland. The company has announced a £1.7 million (€1.85 million) boost to its cleaning budget which will cover enhanced overnight cleaning services as well as extending cleaning hours at all TPE stations.

Toilet attendants will be introduced at some of the operator's larger stations including Huddersfield, Hull and Manchester Airport.

TransPennine Express customer experience director Kathryn O'Brien said: "We are thrilled to announce the creation of nearly 60 new jobs plus an additional £1.7million investment in providing further protection for customers across the North.

"Since the start of the pandemic, our team has been working tremendously hard to keep people safe with increased cleaning in place both on board trains and at stations. There has also been a real focus on common touchpoints such as handrails, door buttons and ticket vending machines.

"This extra investment will allow us to enhance the level of cleaning we provide and give everyone travelling on our services some extra peace of mind."

The jobs are being made available through facilities management company Mitie.

Meanwhile, supermarket giant Morrisons has created 2,240 new roles for cleaners in a similar bid to boost cleaning and hygiene standards during the global pandemic. The programme is being rolled out across all 494 Morrisons stores where a regular deep-clean will be carried out every three weeks.