ONLINE shopping giant Amazon has opened a new delivery station in Cumbria after months of planning.

The new 7,000 sq metre station - which will be located on Woodlands Industrial Storage Estate in Longtown - opened yesterday with 20 permanent staff working with a network of 100 drivers.

The drivers will come from eight independent delivery companies and will deliver parcels on behalf of Amazon.

Packages destined for Amazon customers will be shipped to the Longtown delivery station from Amazon fulfilment and sorting centres, where they will then be delivered to customers.

Mervyn Beacom, the site’s delivery station manager, said: “It is a fantastic location for Amazon and we’re really excited about opening the new delivery station and welcoming a new team to serve our customers in Cumbria.”

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, some of the changes the firm has implemented include providing personal protective gear to staff, implementing disinfectant spraying and temperature checks and adjusting practices so staff can maintain a safe distance from colleagues.

“Nothing is more important to us than making sure we protect the health of our teams, and we’ve been working around the clock since the early days of the outbreak to make changes to our processes and procure the necessary supplies for this,” explained Mr Beacom.

Amazon said the new site would mean more efficient delivery for customers but would not confirm whether it would bring same day delivery to customers in Cumbria just yet.