THAT train seat might be dirtier than you think.

Thousands of seats and floors on CityRail trains have not been properly cleaned in more than a decade, an audit of RailCorp cleaning practices has found.



Most worryingly, CityRail has never had a proper process for cleaning fabric seats since they were introduced in 2002.



Fabric seats on Millennium, Oscar and some Tangara trains have only ever received a quick vacuum in a decade of service - meaning spills and grime have been left to soak deep into the fabric and cushioning.



The audit also revealed some train floors have not received a thorough clean since at least 2002 after high-pressure water cleaning was stopped due to concerns it would affect the train's electrics.



RailCorp staff have been trying to remove chewing gum and graffiti from train floors with just a mop and a bucket.



The review of train carriage cleaning standards was carried out after the management of RailCorp's cleaning unit was outsourced to Transfield earlier this year.



Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has now ordered a $3.5 million deep-cleaning blitz of the interior of Sydney's trains to bring them up to standard.



More than 1300 carriages will be spruced up by the end of June, Ms Berejiklian said.



"It is appalling such a low standard of cleaning has been acceptable in our train carriages for more than 10 years," Ms Berejiklian said.



"It's no wonder there are some people who simply won't catch trains or sit on seats because they are so filthy.



"For the first time in a decade, modern equipment and better practices are being applied to this task and we are using commercial standards to get our trains cleaner than ever before. If our carriages are clean and we respect our fleet more than in the past, I think passengers will do the same and litter and vandalism will become less of a problem."



Fabric seats will be cleaned with a dry steam cleaning machine, while floors will be attacked with machine scrubbers and steam cleaners.



Surry Hills nurse Sarah Nancy yesterday said that the level of filth on seats on Sydney's trains was unacceptable.



"It makes you wonder if they are cleaning the handrails and parts like that," she said.



"They spend too much time getting rid of graffiti and don't worry about the seats as much because the stains can be hidden. They can be quite misleading."



Elizabeth Bay social marketer Margaret Welna, 27, said the public also shared some responsibility for keeping trains clean.



"People should take their rubbish with them," Ms Welna said.







Originally published as Your train seat has not been cleaned in 10 years