Stefanie Foster says thank you to the railway family.

Crisis demonstrates the power and worth of the railway family

TOGETHERNESS has always been important, but especially in these times of self-isolation and social distancing. And nowhere is this more self-evident than on the railway - by definition, on rail’s front line, there’s no alternative but being together.

But too often, railway staff are not mentioned in the lists of key workers we hear acknowledged on just about every news bulletin. For us at RAIL, that just won’t do.

Over these past few weeks, hosts of politicians and broadcasters have rightly lavished praise on NHS staff and supermarket workers. But while it is absolutely correct that the nation applauds the magnificent efforts of our NHS staff fighting this virus and the determination of those working in supermarkets to keep us all fed, there are key workers who are going largely unnoticed.

Many of our railway workers are also on the front line, day after day, making sure other key workers get to work and that crucial freight deliveries are delivered around the country. But as is often the case, they have been seemingly overlooked. Is the world at large taking them for granted?

We see it as our job at RAIL to put that right. And in this issue, we’re doing exactly that - with this Comment; the poem opposite (which I’ll come on to); a feature focusing on some of the railway’s frontline heroes; our special back cover which symbolises the approximately 100,000 railway staff on the network; and a bespoke subscription offer to say thank you specifically from us.

The railway has stepped up in new and unexpected ways to assist in the fight against Coronavirus. Network Rail employees have been making protective gowns for NHS nurses; food banks have been opening in stations; free travel is being offered to victims of domestic abuse who are fleeing to safety; health centres are opening in unused station spaces; and there are doubtless many more examples that have simply gone unreported. We’d love to put that right if you know of any.

The common theme in all of these initiatives is the people who are making it happen… railway people.

For as long as anyone on the railway can remember, there has been a sense of family among its staff. Nobody seems to really know where the concept came from, but they all feel it… very strongly. One theory is that it originated from unionisation in the 1920s, when it was common for Trade Union members to refer to one another as ‘brother’. Others I asked were unable to offer any theories, they simply told me that wherever it came from it’s a feeling that is as strong as ever - this overwhelming sense of community.

In this issue, RAIL’s Features Editor Paul Stephen spoke to staff working in frontline roles across the railway, to find out what it’s like to be a key worker on the rail network when many of the rest of us are staying safe indoors. Many spoke of that sense of family within the railway - read about the fantastic work they and their colleagues are doing on pages 40-45.

‘Railway family’ is a familiar phrase, but it seems to mean even more in these times when most of us are separated from our own families That feeling of togetherness among rail colleagues, bonded over a common purpose, is apparent whoever you speak to.

On April 3, the Rail Delivery Group hosted an online Railway Day to celebrate railway staff and to thank them for their hard work in keeping the network running during the lockdown, be they passenger-facing or working hard behind the scenes. The idea was to flood Twitter with messages of thanks using the hashtag #RailwayFamily. It worked tremendously well and there are hundreds of heart-warming messages on Twitter that I urge you to take a look at.

The ‘railway family’ has been called upon during many times of crisis - two world wars, terrorist attacks and the unpredictable forces of Nature - and each time their unwavering commitment has enabled them to triumph and emerge stronger on the other side. The current crisis has presented more terrible and challenging circumstances than exist in most people’s living memory, but the railway family is answering the call once more - just as their predecessors did, and just as the next generation will after them.

We wanted to find our own way to say thank you. And the best way we know is by doing what we do best - keeping you informed with what’s happening across the network at this difficult and confusing time.

So, if you work on the railway (whatever you do) and you’d like a subscription to RAIL magazine, drop us an email at rail@bauermedia.co.uk, tell us what you do, and we’ll send you a special key workers discount code that will allow you to subscribe at half the regular price of buying us on the newsstand. And it’s an even bigger discount if you choose a digital subscription instead of print.

This is a time-limited offer, specifically for railway workers, in recognition of the huge sacrifice you are making for us all. We are truly grateful. We know it’s not much, but we hope this small gesture will help you to stay up-todate with the latest news and enjoy some of the great features we have planned over the coming weeks.

As part of our commitment to ensuring we can keep bringing you the best in-depth news, analysis and opinion, you may notice that your magazine is a few pages shorter over the next few issues. This is a decision we’ve made to safeguard the quality of the magazine that you have come to expect. Our commitment to that goal is stronger than ever, as we do our best to keep you informed through these difficult times.

So, please stay with us and keep reading, whether you prefer the feel of the printed page or the ease of a tablet. Because we are all in this together. And we will beat it together.

And I want to leave you with one final thing. We decided to do something different in Comment this issue, because Transport Focus Chief Executive Anthony Smith sent us this wonderful poem (opposite) he commissioned from Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists to say thank you to transport workers across the country for everything they are doing. And we agree with every single word. Thank you… R

■ Nigel Harris is away.

STOP PRESS: As RAIL closed for press, the Government approved the start of work for HS2 (see Network News, pages 16-17).

Given warnings by the Office for Budget Responsibility that the economy could collapse by up to one-third, shovel-ready infrastructure projects are going to be crucial in getting Britain working again. That Europe’s biggest civil engineering project now has the go-ahead gives it an even more important role in getting Britain working again when this crisis is over.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?

“The crisis has presented challenging circumstances… but the railway family is answering the call once more.”

Email: rail@bauermedia.co.uk