Rail Professional February 2022

Page 59

SUSTAINABILITY |

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St Pancras International: Showcasing sustainable facilities management at rail stations Greg Dingle, London Regional Director at The Churchill Group provides an overview on how station facility managers can focus on sustainability while setting high standards in cleaning and hygiene to keep all users safe unveiled plans to make it mandatory for companies to publish net zero transition plans and have them evaluated by an independent taskforce. This means that rail operators, including facilities managers at stations, must prioritise both safety and sustainability in tandem if they want to succeed.

Image credit: Sam Lane Photography

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ygiene continues to be front and centre of rail operators’ minds. As uncertainty surrounding the direction of travel in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic remains, train companies are having to remain on their guard to ensure their services are safe for customers, many of whom may still be uncertain about travelling on public transport. From deploying expanded cleaning schedules to implementing distancing measures and one-way systems at stations, the rail sector has stepped up as a critical service that has had no choice but to continue operating throughout these challenging times.

Without it, countless people (including essential workers) would not have been able to commute to and from work and keep the country moving. And as we start to see greater use of rail again, this attention to detail in terms of hygiene will no doubt remain. Safe and sustainable Events of this year have also seen environmental issues rise up the agenda. COP26 in particular has shone a bright spotlight on sustainability, with pledges and commitments made that will no doubt shape the strategies of public and private organisations in the short and long term. One of the most striking announcements came from Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who

Sustainable station management at St Pancras We work with several rail operators up and down the country, including Network Rail High Speed which manages one of the busiest terminals in London – St Pancras International. Here, during peak times, one million passengers pass in and out of the station on a monthly basis, from daily commuters and business travellers to visitors both from the UK and abroad. St Pancras is itself something of a destination station. Packed with duty-free style retail and dining outlets, it represents a unique blend of new and old architecture, with half of the station comprised of grade I listed ironwork combined with modern glasswork. We have worked with Network Rail High Speed since 2017, delivering cleaning, janitorial and pest control services to help ensure a safe and welcoming environment awaits arriving and departing passengers. Central to the contact since we took over has been the promotion of a strong ethos of responsible, eco-friendly cleaning. As a result, and in line with Network Rail Professional


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