Sparkling results expected at Greater Anglia’s Ilford depot

FOLLOWING almost three months of work to install, calibrate and test it, a new £1.2 million carriage washing machine which can handle up to six five-car trains per hour has been brought into operation at Greater Anglia’s depot at Ilford.

The train operator says the new machine uses 10% less water than previous equipment. Carried out as trains leave the depot to enter service, each wash is electronically logged to show how many litres were used, which allows staff to get an early indication of any problems or leaks which may need attention.

Detergent is mixed with around 225 litres of water to wash each carriage. To ensure effective cleaning, trains move through the machine at a maximum of 3mph.

New carriage washers have also been installed at Colchester, Clacton, Southend Victoria and Orient Way sidings as part of a £4 million project to improve train cleaning for Greater Anglia’s new Class 720, 745 and 755 units.