Commuters surprised with FREE Christmas Party 'Survival' Kits during busiest week for office parties

• Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is saving weary heads by gifting free Christmas Party ‘Survival’ Kits to commuters as this week is revealed to be the most popular for office Christmas parties (31%).
• Through the fun and festive giveaway, GTR is raising awareness of the increase of incidents that peak during the festive period to ensure partygoers get home safely.
• The ‘Survival’ Kits are jam-packed with post-work-party essentials, including the top five items Brits believe to be the biggest hangover saviours.

This morning, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the UK’s largest train company, is surprising commuters with free Christmas Party ‘Survival’ Kits, as this week is officially revealed to be the most popular for the annual office Christmas Party (31%).

Despite half of Brits now working remotely (51%), almost two in five (38%) plan to travel by train to their work Christmas party, meaning that many office workers will be heading home worse for wear, which is where GTR comes in.

With nearly one in ten Brits (9%) admitting to missing the last train after a Christmas party, the ‘Survival’ Kits are designed to perk travellers up for their journey home, as well as helping weary heads the next day. Each kit includes the top five items deemed to be hangover saviours by Brits:

• Food (41%)
• Coffee (32%)
• Electrolytes (25%)
• A detox shot (7%)
• Breath mints (7%)

As well as offering a helping hand this festive season, the giveaway aims to raise awareness about the increase in accidents that take place at train stations at this time of year. GTR data shows there were more than 150 incidents relating to slips and falls at stations last winter[i]and there was also a rise in reports citing intoxication as a contributing factor.

Londoners are set to be the most in need of the ‘Survival’ Kits as the city has been voted as the most likely to party the hardest over the festive period (26%). Following this research, GTR is handing out kits to commuters passing through London Victoria, London Blackfriars and Brighton this morning.

Those who work in finance could be the biggest recipients of the kit as Brits say this industry parties hard during the festive period (17%), followed by Entertainment (13%) and Advertising and Marketing (9%).

Samantha Facey, ‘Elf, Safety and Security Director’ at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “With this week being the most popular time for office Christmas parties, we’re likely to see extra travellers, which is why we’re offering a helping hand with our ‘Survival’ Kits.

“We of course want our customers to go out and have fun, but with a year-on-year increase in slips, trips and falls on our network during winter, coupled with higher levels of intoxication, we want people to be careful when travelling and not to do anything that puts themselves, or anyone else, in danger.”

Greg Blenkin is a Station Assistant for Govia Thameslink Railway. He says that people tend to be more relaxed about safety rules during the festive period. He explains: “We find that people are more interactive with staff over the festive period, but they can also be a bit too giddy. For example, going beyond the yellow safety line, going too close to trains that are pulling in and out of the station. We have to step in a bit more as you can see other customers getting concerned, but a lot of the time people are willing to listen. For those heading home after the annual office party, please carry a bottle of water with you and avoid running on the platforms. If you’re concerned about anything, please contact a member of staff or the British Transport Police.”

Audio and video footage is available from Greg below.

Commuters travelling through London Victoria, London Blackfriars and Brighton train stations can get their hands on a Christmas Party ‘Survival’ Kit for today only. They will be handed out between 8am and 10am.

[i] Taken from internal safety reports at GTR from October – December 2023

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