New bench is a fitting tribute to Trevor

Colleagues, family and friends of Trevor Tupper OBE joined at Chichester Railway Station for the unveiling of a bench in his memory.

Trevor was involved with the West Sussex Rail Users Association from the 1980s onwards, and was vice chair of the Arun Valley community rail partnership until his death last year.

He was hugely respected and worked hard with Southern Railway and, later, its parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to safeguard and improve services for the community. He was held in such high esteem that GTR’s chief executive officer Angie Doll personally joined the ceremony. Alongside his work in the community, Trevor was awarded an OBE earlier in life for his services with the civil service, developing pensions and community work for Haslewick School in Crawley.

The bench, at Trevor’s home station, was organised and commissioned by Nigel Searle and Rowena Tyler from GTR and SCRP respectively and it was made by maintenance team member James Tongue. Nigel worked with Trevor over the decades to improve train services and described him as a ‘wonderful community person’. Rowena added: “When I joined SCRP in 2017, Trevor made his time and knowledge available to me, which was invaluable as someone new to the rail industry. He also travelled across the Southern Rail network, and discussed community rail possibilities with me, and even helped secure funding to deliver projects. Being able to commemorate his life and commitment with this beautiful bench and plaque, at this event was a fitting tribute and one he would have enjoyed immensely.”