Train company Southeastern is upgrading its train cleaning facilities, including dedicated interior repairs and extensive cleaning work at its existing Grove Park depot in south-east London.
Grove Park Depot (c) Southeast
The £1.5 million refurbishment added two platform-level aisles for 12-car trains, significantly improving access to trains for cleaning. This makes cleaning trains much easier and faster as cleaning teams no longer need to lift and lower heavy equipment from the ground.
Easily accessible walkways are expected to free up approximately 28 hours during major cleanings and nighttime cleanings, which can be spent cleaning trains instead of lifting heavy equipment. .
In addition, new power insulation will be installed on another one of the six berthing roads in the main cleaning shed, bringing the total up to three. This additional road provides more capacity for safer cleaning inside the shed. Drainage has also been significantly improved to stay within drainage limits.
Southeastern operates one of the largest fleets in the country, with just under 400 trains, and about a quarter of all train cleanings are done on the Grove Park property, totaling 10,000 trains per week. A minor vehicle cleaning is being carried out.
Train cleaning has been carried out at Grove Park since 1959, but operations have now been reorganized so that more trains can be cleaned there, and the maintenance required to keep trains running is now carried out at Ashford. It can now be carried out at other South Eastern depots including , Gillingham and Ramsgate. And Slade Green.
Southeastern Airlines’ Mobile Interior Standards Team (MIST) will also operate from the center. They are responsible for collecting and cleaning on-board toilets when passengers report problems.
Mark Johnson, Southeastern’s director of engineering, said: “We are committed to building better, more reliable and sustainable railways, and delivering clean trains in good condition is a key part of that goal.” Our first train Presentation Centers of Excellence help you set new standards, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately create a better journey. ”