Rapid dishwashing technology for Virgin Trains
In a ground-breaking move, long-distance rail operator Virgin Trains awarded DHL Supply Chain its first major rail contract, a £30m three-year deal to manage on-board catering services across the strategically important West Coast Mainline, stretching from Glasgow to Euston and serving in excess of 30m passengers per year.
Gary Rowles, General Manager at DHL Supply Chain is responsible for the dishwashing operations. He has considerable expertise in large dishwashing systems at DHL Passenger Gateway, covering dishwash operations for British Airways and United Airlines. “When it came to replacing the dishwashing equipment at four service centres, I went to the market with knowledge and a working experience of the machines and services provided from a number of manufacturers,” says Rowles.
“Meiko is excellent at finding solutions to specific washing and handling issues. We required a minor modification on one of the machines, as our old cutlery washing baskets did not fit the new machines and they were happy to fix those issues for us; nothing is too much trouble. Meiko has effectively refurbished the entire dishwashing network for Virgin Trains West Coast Mainline, which was not an easy project due to the logistical issues involved.
Gary Rowles reports that following Meiko’s refurbishment of the dishwashing systems for Virgin Trains, the wash quality has seen significant improvements. DHL selected Meiko’s machine integrated GiO Tech reverse osmosis water treatment systems for all of the machines. The GiO Tech units provide sparkling clean, spot free results and have eliminated the need to install costly to maintain water softeners and remote reverse osmosis plant. This has saved valuable floor space at all logistics centres, in addition to delivering considerable cost savings.
AirConcept integrated condensate hoods fitted on the pass-through dishwashers dramatically reduce the heat output and help to make the working environment more pleasant for staff. The hoods save energy and can also eliminate the need for a dedicated dishwash ventilation system, because they recycle waste heat and steam to pre-heat the incoming cold water.
All in all a rapid, clean solution by Meiko!
Dishwashing technology at Virgins:
Manchester Rack type dishwashing machine plus hood type dishwashing machine
Preston Hood type dishwashing machine
Euston 2 x flight type dishwashing machines
Liverpool Rack type dishwashing machine plus FV40.2G-GiO for glasses
