TransLink to test copper-coating product on SkyTrain cars

TransLink soon will test a new bacteria- and virus-killing copper-coating product on high-touch surfaces on SkyTrain cars and buses.

The agency will install copper-based products and a protective coating called organosilane to test how effectively the agents destroy viruses and bacteria, TransLink officials said in a press release. 

The initial four-week pilot phase calls for:
• products to be installed on two SkyTrain cars on the Expo and Millennium lines and two trolley buses;
• surfaces to be swabbed and tested twice weekly to determine antimicrobial effectiveness; and
• surfaces to be assessed for durability at the end of the four-week period.

Copper alloy surfaces are naturally antimicrobial with self-sanitizing properties. Recent literature shows that copper alloy surfaces destroy up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within four hours, TransLink officials said.

Organosilane is a wipe-on coating that can provide long-lasting protection against damaging microbes such as bacteria, mold, mildew and many viruses. When used in tandem with good hygiene and cleaning protocols, copper and organosilanes can help inhibit the buildup and growth of viruses and bacteria.

"The risk of COVID-19 transmission on transit remains extremely low and this initiative will only bolster our comprehensive cleaning protocols which are already in place," said TransLink Chief Executive Officer Kevin Desmond.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, TransLink is the first North American transit agency to test the copper-coating products, agency officials said. The project is the result of a partnership between TransLink, Teck Resources Ltd., Vancouver Coastal Health, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction Canada and the University of British Columbia.