Media centre

Tuesday 8 Jun 2021

An oasis of calm….in Wimbledon

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

Staff at Network Rail’s Wimbledon and Clapham depots have gone green fingered and turned part of their yard into an oasis of calm.

Using recycled materials such as old railway sleepers and wooden pallets, the team have transformed their yard into a garden which features wooden benches, a pond and even a garden gnome.

The thirty plus team regularly work long shifts to carry out maintenance work on the track on the Wessex route to keep trains running reliably for passengers, and use the garden as a place to relax and unwind after a long shift, which promotes better wellbeing.

Visitors to the depot can also make use of the garden on Alexandra Road in Wimbledon.

Christopher Courtney, section supervisor (track maintenance) from the Wimbledon depot, said: “The idea came about as we have quite a few people who fish in the team, and we had lots of old materials in the yard.

“Everyone chipped in to help transform the yard in their spare time. The feedback has been really positive and having a place to relax and unwind is so beneficial especially in our high-pressured environment.

“It gives everyone the space to listen to the running water, which is so calming in itself, and to take a moment to rebalance."