London’s St Pancras International station is to deploy two robots “to help eradicate viruses throughout the historical landmark’s concourse and facilities”.
The robots will be introduced from September 22, with St Pancras claiming to be “the first train station in the world to utilise high-tech cleaning robots to help eradicate viruses”.
An ultraviolet robot provided by NESA will use UV-C light “to deliver fully autonomous, fast and chemical free disinfection to large areas”. The technology is able to kill 99.9999 per cent of viruses and bacteria including Covid-19 on all surfaces and in the air surrounding it “in a matter of minutes”.
Meanwhile the station will deploy a second Ultrasonic Disinfection Atomiser cleaning robot, known as an Eco Bot 50. The robot is designed to clean and disinfect surfaces simultaneously using an automated scrubber dryer, and is able to auto charge, drain and refill resulting in minimal human interaction.
St Pancras says that the move follows on from the reopening of stores and cafes at the station in June, alongside “a number of heightened hygiene measures”.
The Eurostar terminus is the latest transport hub to introduce virus-killing robots, which previously have been used to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections. In July Heathrow deployed similar technology, while Hong Kong International did so back in April.
Commenting on the news Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director HS1 Ltd said:
“As travel throughout the capital continues to resume, we are proud to be the first train station in the world to utilise this new technology and hope that this reassures customers that our main priority is to ensure the safety of our station staff and visitors, while maintaining the same enjoyable shopping experience.”
