Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Steven still on track after 35 years in rail industry
A Coatbridge train manager who works at Manchester Piccadilly station is celebrating 35 years in the business.
Steven Lloyd, 51, now living in Stockport, started working in the rail industry at the young age of 16 when he accepted a role for British Rail at the Motherwell depot.
The former Townhead Primary and Coatbridge High pupil was taken under the wing as a trainee on the rail organisation’s youth training scheme, and said the programme gave him a “thorough introduction” to life on the railway.
Steven said: “The course gave us a general overview of railway operations. I worked small stations, big stations, red star parcels and even the telephone exchange.
“One job I used to find funny was they would get two of us to go out on a train with a huge metal safe on wheels.
“We would have to sit in the guards’ van and the station staff would bring out the last few days takings in a small bag that was sealed with wax and we had to drop them in the safe.
“To this day, I still don’t know how much money we were wheeling around.”
Having completed the trainee scheme, Steven was promoted to a Relief Drivers Assistant. The role involved helping with various tasks, such as pulling points and uncoupling or coupling engines.
He then began his training as a driver and there was one particular moment in the job that stood out to him.
In 2001, Steven was invited to film a scene for the ITV detective drama A Touch of Frost, starring David Jason.
An episode was being filmed at Longsight Depot and Steven was asked to take on the role of a train driver who came very close to “running over” Detective Inspector Frost as the character walked along the track.
“It was a wonderful day and one of my favourite moments through the years,” Steven recalls.
“David Jason was very friendly, and the crew were great, and I stayed to watch the rest of the filming.”
Steven was later promoted to Instructor Driver where he began training others. He is now the Lead Driver Team Manager at Manchester Piccadilly station.
“I’m always proud of the trainees when they qualify to be drivers,” Steven said of the role.
“It’s rewarding to see trainees progress from knowing nothing about the railway to driving the trains by themselves.
“I have loved my job from day one and as my career progressed the job just came naturally to me. I always enjoy coming to work. I love the team of people I work with; we are all cut from the same cloth and we just know how to operate.”