Regular cleanings of buses and trains create a welcoming experience for customers

At any given moment across RTD’s 2,345 square-mile service area, nearly 200 train cars and 500 buses are in service, providing connections via 10 rail lines and 126 bus routes. To ensure each and every trip provides a welcoming transit experience for the agency’s nearly 180,000 daily boardings, a large team of RTD employees and contractors work behind the scenes to regularly clean vehicles. Their work, which focuses on a multi-point checklist of assignments, ensures every customer has a clean ride every time, no matter the destination, and no matter the vehicle.

Bus

Fleet Size: 1,028 vehicles
Each night, RTD’s team of professionals cleans every bus when it pulls into the garage at the end of revenue service. This work includes picking up trash, sweeping and mopping floors, and a general cleaning of interior surfaces. All buses pass through an oversized car wash every night to ensure their exteriors are clean and free of mud, dirt, and other debris. Every 3,000miles, buses also undergo a detailed, deep cleaning of the interior, which includes washing seats and wiping down all handrails, walls, the operator’s area, and more.

Light Rail

Fleet Size: 200 vehicles
Every light rail vehicle is cleaned, swept, and disinfected each day. The daily clean-ups are performed when a light rail vehicle arrives back to the agency’s Elati Facility at end of service. At that time, schedules are restocked to ensure information is readily available the next day for customers. Additionally, operators do regular checks of their vehicles at the end-of-the-line to check for cleanliness. If an issue is discovered, the train can be pulled from service for cleaning to ensure the issue doesn’t impact customers and schedules. All light rail vehicles undergo a thorough interior cleaning every 42 days.

Commuter Rail

Fleet Size: 66 vehicles
All commuter rail vehicles are cleaned each night at the end of revenue service during a short turnaround window. This everyday cleaning includes wiping down seats and handrails, picking up any trash or debris, and mopping the floors. Commuter rail vehicles also receive an in-depth cleaning every 92 days during their regularly scheduled preventative maintenance interval. During the in-depth cleaning process, all interior surfaces are scrubbed and disinfected. At the end of the line, staff also take note of any spills or garbage that may need immediately addressed.

RTD’s service and cleaning staff takes great pride in keeping all vehicles and facilities clean and supporting all customers through their daily work. By regularly cleaning all vehicles, rail stations, and transit facilities, RTD is able to maintain a safe, welcoming environment for its employees and customers. Regular cleanings also reduce hazards like spills and debris, and it reinforces public confidence in the agency’s transit services.