Some sections of the London Underground network are to receive deep-cleans every night for the rest of summer, following the discovery of dangerous superbugs on the network.
Researchers at London Metropolitan University found 121 different types of bacteria and mould on public transport in London, with at least eight of the most threatening bacteria to human health discovered on the Tube. To little surprise, the Victoria Line was deemed to be the dirtiest.
Around 50 Tube stations and five tunnels will be cleaned each night over summer with industrial vacuum cleaners and magnetic wands used to remove metal particles, dust, grease and oil.
More than a dozen stations will be tested to monitor how dust levels change at different times and locations. Information from this improved air quality monitoring programme will be published on the Transport for London (TfL) website.
This expanded cleaning regime is just one of many measures announced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as part of a new air quality action plan. He commented: “Tube staff and the millions of passengers who use the Underground regularly deserve to breathe the cleanest air possible. TfL’s new Underground air quality programme will help ensure dust and particles are kept to an absolute minimum.
“But I want to leave no stone unturned and I’ve also asked for an updated scientific analysis of pollution on the Tube so we can fully assess the air quality levels and take appropriate measures to ensure that the air is clean.”
Tube trains running along the rails, engineering works, air ventilation and skin particles all contribute to dust and dirt on the Tube system. Help and advice will be sought from the Department of Health’s independent expert Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.
Mark Wild, Managing Director of the London Underground, said: “We have been monitoring dust levels on the Tube for many years and, through a wide range of measures, have ensured that particle levels are will within Health and Safety Executive guidelines. But as scientific understanding of the effects of particles develops, we are ensuring that we’re both using the very latest research and that we’re doing everything possible to keep the air underground clean for our customers and staff.”
