Christmas turkey? Wet wipes? Hopes and dreams?
Something is getting Virgin Trains – and their onboard facilities – into a whole load of bother at the moment.
A BRA – yes, you read that right – is just one of the latest strange items being flushed down the bogs onboard their Pendolino trains. It takes its place amongst other items on an unsanitary list including glasses, wedding rings, nappies, and even a Manchester United scarf to have been flushed down the pan.
But wet wipes are the biggest culprit, as costs to repair the toilets have now exceeded £180,000. On a typical day around four toilets are taken out of service as a result of inappropriate use. This equates to over 18,000 lost toilet hours per year, and a repair bill in excess of £182,000.
In an unpredecented move, Virgin Trains released a plea to its customers to stick to the ‘3Ps’ of flushing. That’s pee, poop and paper, in case you didn’t know.
“It did make us smile when we found the bra as it’s not something you would expect to find,” explained Michael Jacks, Head of Fleet and Engineering at Virgin Trains. “
“But it does highlight a very serious issue, and one that greatly impacts on our customers. Bins are provided, and we would remind our customers to follow the 3Ps of flushing. Only pee, poo and paper should be flushed down any toilet.”
Toilet Facts
- Virgin Trains has 484 toilets in service on its trains each day
- On average a toilet is flushed eight times per hour
- Talking toilets, along with tongue in cheek signage, have been used onboard Virgin Trains to promote responsible toilet use
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