Transport for London (TfL) will install more than 200 ultraviolet (UV) light sanitising devices on escalators across the London Underground network as part of its anti-viral cleaning regime.
Following a successful six-week pilot at Heathrow’s T1, T2 and T3 tube stations, UV light will now be used to clean handrails on 110 escalators, which equates to almost a quarter of all escalators on the network.
The devices use an escalator’s motion to power a UV bulb that breaks down contamination to sanitise the surface continuously. UV light has been proven to de-activate previous strains of coronavirus, but TfL said Covid-19 is too new for similar clinical trials in the UK.
However, in the Heathrow trial, the devices reportedly improved the cleanliness of the handrail surfaces by at least 50%, enough for TfL to use the technology to supplement its current anti-viral cleaning regime.
Esther Sharples, director of asset operations at London Underground, said: “Customer injuries on escalators account for around half of all injuries on the tube network and, during the pandemic, we have found that some customers are avoiding holding the handrails.
“We hope that the installation of these new devices, along with the provision of hand sanitiser across the network, will rebuild customer confidence.”
According to TfL, devices are now fitted to six escalators at King’s Cross St Pancras tube station and more will be deployed across the network, including Bond Street, Charing Cross, Green Park, London Bridge, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Victoria and Waterloo.
Furthermore, TfL said it regularly tests for coronavirus on its network and had found no evidence of the virus to date.
A new testing plan with Imperial College London started in September and involves independent monthly air and surface sampling, on both the tubes and buses. Results from the first round of collaborative sampling were all negative for the presence of Covid-19.
