The Southern Railway has announced that its team has turned one of its train depots into a hand sanitiser bottling plant to meet the needs of those on the front line, who are keeping trains running for key workers during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Set up in response to the pandemic, bulk deliveries of hand sanitiser have been decanted and packed into 1,000 bottles by the Horsham Maintenance Depot.

Empty bottles are then returned for recycling.

Significant extra efforts have also been made throughout the crisis at locations across the Govia Thameslink Railway network.

Once decanted the team distributes to locations from Gillingham, Ashford to Barnham, Brighton and London.

What did the officials say?

Logistics Manager for the South Tessa Holme said:

“We make sure each delivery we get is spread as far afield as possible, and in a few hours the team were able to run like a factory production line.

“We’ve been crazy busy, flitting between bottling, forklifts and deliveries. The team has been great, showing great diversification.”

Letchworth Distribution Manager Sarah Collett said:

“For the past month we have been operating a full service supplying all kinds of material from ticket stock, stationary, bags, boots, posters, leaflets, COVID-19 supplies including sanitiser, wipes, sprays, gloves and much more.

“I am so proud of my team for their contribution to ensuring stations are kitted out with their every need, on top of movement of IT equipment, lost property, water, furniture and still carrying out minor works on stations.

“They have continued working through these hard times ensuring that we keep up the normal day to day running of Letchworth Distribution Centre.”

Steve White, Chief Operating Officer of Govia Thameslink Railway, said:

“We are all incredibly proud of the efforts that everyone is making at Govia Thameslink Railway to operate our train service for key workers.”

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