View Images of PPE Vending Machines Here
MTA Long Island Rail Road President Phillip Eng today announced it has reconfigured vending machines at two locations in Penn Station to allow customers to purchase items of personal protective equipment (PPE). Customers will be able to buy KN95 masks, bottled hand sanitizer and gloves at the machines which are each located on the 7th avenue side near the LIRR waiting room and the 8th avenue side by the exit concourse. Free masks and hand sanitizer are still being distributed at stations and on trains for any rider in need.
The move is the latest in a series of measures the Long Island Rail Road has taken to ensure customer and employee safety during the pandemic. LIRR continues with its most aggressive cleaning regimen in the agency’s history by disinfecting trains cars at least once a day and stations at least twice daily since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
To date, the MTA has distributed 2.2 million masks to customers on subways, buses, and railroads along with 750,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. Masks are also stored on all trains in the event a person boards without one.
“We're doing everything we can to make sure that our customers feel safe as we fight this ongoing pandemic, continuously building on our aggressive cleaning efforts and other measures,” said Phillip Eng, President of Long Island Rail Road. “These PPE vending machines are another way to assist our riders who may have lost or forgotten their masks. By wearing masks, and using our LIRR TrainTime app, that lets them know where they can find more space on a train, customers can be armed with the protection and information they need for a safe ride.”
The vending machines are managed by Canteen, a division of the Compass Group USA and were built by Vengo, a manufacturer of retail vending machines. The products range from single use hand sanitizer for $0.75 to premium KN95 masks for $9.99.
In the coming weeks, customers can find PPE vending machines at the following Long Island Rail Road locations:
- Atlantic Terminal
- Hicksville
- Ronkonkoma
Today's launch follows an announcement made on July 10 about Metro-North Railroad’s PPE vending machines at 12 stations throughout the system.