Random Acts of Kindness Day: train company handing out free daffodils and hot chocolate at Manchester station

A train company will be handing out free flowers and hot chocolates at a Manchester city centre station to mark Random Acts of Kindness Day.

Northern will be giving out goodies to commuters coming into Manchester Victoria on Thursday morning (17 February).

Passengers have been getting pleasant surprises in the run-up to the day with sweet treats and even a cuddle with an adorable puppy.

The company says it is taking part in the day of random kindnesses as a thank you to its passengers.

What is Northern doing for Random Acts of Kindness Day?

Northern staff will be at Victoria handing out daffodils and hot chocolate from 7.30am on Thursday until the stock of goodies runs out, which is expected to be at around 10.30am.

The company has also been handing out free gifts on trains across the network on Wednesday (16 February) as well as offering passengers the chance to have a cuddle and a stroke with Millie the pug.

Northern has been ploughing millions of pounds into its trains and station to try to turn around its reputation among passengers, with moves including taking the old and deeply-disliked Pacer trains off the region’s railways.

The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) put Northern as the sixth most improved organisation in its January 2022 report.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “As a thank you to our commuters and to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day, our team has been taking to the network to give our commuters something additional to smile about and further prove that commuting with Northern really is a better way to go.”