Teddington's MP Munira Wilson has co-signed a letter urging South Western Railway to make masks compulsory on their trains, after speaking out against the easing of social distancing restrictions on 19 July.

Wilson and her fellow south west London Liberal Democrat MPs Sarah Olney and Ed Davey signed the letter on Friday 16 July, four days before so-called 'Freedom Day,' took place.

In the letter the trio, plus Richmond and Kingston Council Leaders Gareth Roberts and Caroline Kerr, urged South Western Railway to follow TfL's lead and make face coverings mandatory across their services.

"Many key workers from across south west London have used South Western Railway's (SWR) services to get to their jobs throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so as the Government eases lockdown.

"With more Londoners expected to return to offices across the capital, but particularly in Central London, and some even restarting their daily commute, SWR's services are likely to be busier than they have ben since the initial coronavirus lockdown in May 2020.

"Therefore, we ask that SWR join TfL and lead on this issue by continuing to require customers travelling on your services to wear face masks, to protect themselves and those around them."

What South Western Railway says

On its website South Western Railway said that it was working to ensure the safety of customers on its trains.

The company said: "Train companies have worked together to ensure there is a consistent approach for passengers.

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"In line with government guidance, we have removed advice about social distancing and expect passengers, out of respect for others, to wear face coverings in crowded places.

"With good ventilation systems on trains, extra cleaning and better information about quieter times, all our passengers can continue to travel with confidence."

The company added that it is cleaning trains and stations more regularly, using a powerful sanitising product to provide strong protection against pathogens, and providing hand sanitisers across the network.

Information on platform crowding can be found HERE

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