Southeastern says commuters can use its trains and stations in confidence after the latest round of tests for coronavirus has drawn a blank.

Trains at the Gillingham depot and on the Sheerness branch line, as well as the large Slade Green depot, were all tested.

Swabbing locations included ‘high touch’ points such as grab poles in the carriages, toilet door buttons and the controls in drivers’ cabs.

Swab testing was completed on 20 of Southeastern’s busiest stations in the autumn, with six more stations including Sittingbourne, Slade Green, Maidstone East, Ramsgate, Margate and Herne Bay tested in November.

By February more than 40 stations will have been examined for traces of Covid-19.

Southeastern's commercial director Alicia Andrews said: “We are always wanting to do more to reassure our passengers that they can travel with us confident in the knowledge that our enhanced cleaning measures are having a real impact, meaning that not a single trace of Covid-19 has been found at our stations or on our trains.

“While government advice across our network remains not to travel unless you have to, we know that some people will need to continue to travel for work, school or college and so the railway remains ever ready to provide an essential service for key workers.”

All the company's stations are now in Tier 4.

A revised timetable will take effect on Monday, January 4.

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