A PROGRAMME to test for Covid-19 on trains across the east has come back negative.

Greater Anglia commissioned SOCOTEC to find out if the virus was present in any carriages.

It has so far carried out 40 biological assessments on a randomly-selected number of trains departing or arriving from Liverpool Street.

The Covid-19 virus was not detected in any of the swabs.

Different areas of trains were swabbed, including push buttons, tables, toilet doors, toilet flush buttons, handles and inside driver’s cabs.

Martin Moran, Greater Anglia commercial, customer service and train presentation director, said: “We are using everything available to make sure that our trains are clean and sanitised. SOCOTEC’s tests enable us to triple check the effectiveness of our new cleaning and sanitising regimes.

“We already carry out weekly tests for biological residue to make sure trains are clean.

“It’s excellent all tests have come back negative, but we’re not complacent and we will continue to keep our trains as hygienic as possible so our customers can travel with confidence.”