Support on life’s journey
RM News
2020 issue 2
Support on life’s journey www.railwaymission.org Railway Mission Rugby Railway Station Rugby • CV21 3LA
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From the Top Stonehaven chaplaincy response The Railwaymen’s Friend Hannah’s Welsh journey RIP Rafiq Thapar Chaplains’ Prayer & Info Welcome to new chaplains Doing what comes naturally Legacy and donation info
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From the Top ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV. 2020 has been such a tough year it can be easy to have a negative attitude, but we should remember that the things we focus on shape our attitude. If we look at the positives, we’ll be more likely to have a positive attitude. If we’re aware of the positives but choose to focus on the negative things, then we’re more likely to have a negative attitude. There can always be negative things in our lives, such as broken relationships, rejection, problems at work, or poor health, which can take our focus and make it hard to be positive. The Bible tells us to ‘rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.’ But how can we do this when we’re facing difficulties? In the 2014 film Marvellous, starring Toby Jones playing the real life character Neil Baldwin, when Neil was asked about his constant positive attitude, he said, “I always wanted to be happy, so I decided to be.” We need to decide to keep focused on the good things in our lives because these are the things God has blessed us with, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above’ (James 1:17 NIV). We also need to keep our focus on God. He will never leave us, and He never stops loving us and this is something we can be thankful for, no matter what our circumstances are. We don’t need to pretend to be happy when we’re going through tough times, because God wants us to be honest and He is ready to comfort us when we’re struggling. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is ‘a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.’ So, however tough 2020 has been, we can still choose to be positive because of everything God has done for us. Liam Johnston is the Executive Director for Railway Mission
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In the aftermath of the recent fatal train derailment near Stonehaven in the north of Scotland, Andrew Hall, Railway Mission’s Area Manager for the North, asked our three chaplains in Scotland: Graham Whitehead, Dereck Grant and Johanna Childs to put into words their thoughts, experience and reaction to being part of the support mechanism in such tragic circumstances.
Edinburgh. Dereck, as the local chaplain, was fielding calls from people close to the incident. Liam Johnston, Railway Mission Executive Director and Senior BTP Chaplain, went to the site the following day. Here are the Scottish chaplains’ accounts of how the next few days unfolded:
Andrew begins, “Our response to the incident was initiated within a couple of hours with Graham being redirected from Glasgow across to the incident location where he established contact with British Transport Police.
Graham Whitehead (pictured right) told us, ‘I have spent the last two days near Stonehaven, offering support to many involved in the aftermath of the derailment in Carmont.
Johanna spent time with staff in Glasgow before making her way to
As a former railway worker, I remember training for major
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incidents, but none of us ever really expected to have to draw on that training. No amount of training can ever really prepare one for the reality. Standing alongside the teams from ScotRail, Network Rail and British Transport Police, the Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Crews, Coastguards, Police Scotland and the Rapid Relief Team, has been a real privilege, and truly humbling. Their professionalism in the face of this terrible tragedy, which everyone in the industry feels personally, combined with their care for everyone else involved, is part of what makes “The Railway” great, and why I love them. The immense, disparate, yet closeknit family, which is the railway
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industry across the world, is in pain just now, so please will you pray that “The Peace of God, which passes all understanding” will be wrapped tightly around and flood through each and every one of us.’ Dereck Grant continues, ‘As railway chaplains we are given regular training to deal with a major incident. I never really thought a major incident would ever happen in the north of Scotland especially the area I cover near Stonehaven. Thankfully, I did not have to be at the train crash site, nor Aberdeen Station that week. After all, I knew both the conductor and the driver that were among the dead. Therefore, I was kept busy responding to railway staff and passengers who were contacting
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me throughout the week. In fact, I was more helpful to others working from my office. It was, however, extremely hard to visit the crash site six days later and try to comprehend and process what had happened. We are here to support people through these difficult, tragic moments. There were no words to articulate the pain people were feeling. Dereck adds, “On the Wednesday, a week after the crash there was a remembrance service at Aberdeen Station where I was asked to say a few words of encouragement and a prayer for a large crowd on the station concourse while wreaths were being laid before a minute’s silence.
This was very poignant because people in their grief were broken and hurting, and it was something the television cameras could not truly capture!” Johanna Childs tells us, “That Wednesday, 12 August 2020, was my very first day back at work, away from home. I had not been in Glasgow for long when I received the news of the derailment. I immediately met with Staff at Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street and then travelled to Edinburgh Waverley Station. I offered support and listened to people's shock and disbelief. At that stage people weren't sure of all the details and there was lots of speculation about who was
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involved. Ongoing support was offered over the days that followed. On the day of the one minute silence, which was onWednesday 19 August at 09.43 am, I went to the accident site. I accompanied both Diane, the widow of the deceased passenger and later also the family of the driver when they too visited the crash site. You can imagine how difficult it was for both the parties to face the hard reality of what had happened. They looked for answers, but probably walked away with more questions. I was at a loss for words and therefore just prayed. Only God can meet them in their anguish.”
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Andrew Hall sums up, “I would like to commend our team who responded for their quick response, dedication to duty and availability to those who were involved in the rescue and recovery and to the many others affected by this tragedy. All three have commented to me that they felt inadequate, illprepared and helpless but it is in this that their witness lies. You can’t share another’s pain if you ‘have all the answers.’ The role of the chaplain is to be there, to weep with those who mourn, to share the burden of loss and to bring peace where there is fear or anger. “
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mma Saunders was born on 2 March 1841 near Bicester in Oxfordshire. Her father, not long returned from India, left London for rural Oxfordshire to restore his health. A family contact offered him a job with the Bank of England, and, having started at Manchester in 1845 he moved to Bristol two years later. Emma was to remain in Bristol until her death in 1927. In a biography her niece praised Emma’s Christ-like character and devoted service. She became a Christian in her youth and her service began teaching at an Industrial Home for girls and a local Sunday School. In the 1870s railway construction in the Bristol area expanded including the Severn Tunnel. This brought large numbers of workmen to the district. Mission work began as they were visited by Louisa Stevenson. Subsequently, due to ill health, Louisa invited Emma, who would have been about 40, to take over the work. She took small gifts to the men she visited and developed an outreach through a Sunday Bible Class and a Mother’s meeting on Mondays in an upper room of Temple Meads Station. By 1884 this work was associated with the Railway Mission and Emma,
Louisa and other women later became auxiliary members. From 1882 the Mission had also been looking for a suitable room to hold a Bible Class. The affection of those she served with in the Mission shines from branch reports; one in 1887 called her “our beloved friend”. In the following year the GWR District Superintendent said that “he appreciated very much the good work carried on in the mission room at the Bristol Station, and the kind and self-denying efforts of Miss Saunders and other ladies…” Later having become superintendent of the Bristol branch she was described as “their esteemed leader.”
*Quote from Emma Saunders’ biography • Pictured above: Commemorative plaque at Bristol Temple Meads with Railwa
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She was a great advocate of temperance and when a hall was built to accommodate increasing numbers in 1896, it was jointly with the GWR Temperance Society. Under her guidance a Railwaymen’s Institute was also established with the permanent building being opened in 1910. Her 2,000 monthly visits to the railwaymen took her to every station, depot, signal box, and yard. In the days before hi-vis clothing she had some near misses. She prepared small gifts for those she visited and each received a copy of the RM’s Railway Messenger on which she had printed a Scripture and notice of events at the hall. Much as a presentday chaplain when she heard of railwaymen in difficulty she would rapidly bring what comfort she could. She would also support wives and mothers in coping with the shock of a fatality on the line. She retired as superintendent aged 83 in 1924 and when she died she was greatly mourned. For her funeral cortege uniformed railwaymen carried her coffin. *“What a world this would be if every Christian was like Miss Saunders.”
Dudley Clark August 2020
EMMA SAUNDERS AT 80 KNOWN AND READ BY ALL MEN… A LETTER FROM CHRIST 2 CORINTHIANS 3:2
ay Mission chaplain Alan Thorpe
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Chaplain for Wales and the Marches, Hannah Tuck, is leaving to take up a new role working with disadvantaged youth. Hannah spoke to us about her time with Railway Mission.
Th no rew tha kn ca a y a
For the last three years I have worked as the Chaplain for Wales. I have seen and done things I never expected I would. The railway family we support is full of many amazing people. It's been a privilege to walk with some of the staff through their life journey. Chaplaincy has given me a chance to celebrate with people as they have got married, had children, been promoted and have other great life events. I have also had the opportunity to be a stooge for BTP dogs, be a part of services like Remembrance Day and plaque unveilings and share the important work of the Railway Mission to conferences and over the radio. It has also been a privilege to offer support to people through some challenging circumstances. This includes family bereavements, reaching out to staff after fatalities and most devastatingly supporting staff after the tragic death of two track workers at Port Talbot in 2019. In the last three years the railway in Wales has changed. Logos have changed, new trains are coming, Arriva Trains Wales has become Transport for Wales but the heartbeat of the railway is still the people who we are privileged to serve. For me chaplaincy isn't about having answers or solving problems, it's about being there. There is nothing more rewarding than staff knowing they can call you and talk to you about anything.
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here is othing more warding an staff nowing they an call you and talk to you about anything.
RIP Rafiq Thapar Andrew Hall, Area Manager for the North, tells us, “Towards the end of April our friend Rafiq Thapar passed away suddenly. This came as quite a shock to me as I had only met with him a few weeks earlier. “I first encountered Rafiq when he was working as a Train Manager for Chiltern in the last few years of his long railway career. In fact, in February 2015, quite a few of us met together to celebrate his 40 years on the railway. “Rafiq worked with us as a volunteer chaplain covering the staff of what is now the ‘Midland Metro’. He and I led a service of blessing for the new fleet of trams when they were rolled out. He was a pleasant and cheerful man and was well liked and respected by staff and management at the Metro. “His presence and contributions to chaplain’s meetings and our annual conference will be missed. Due to lockdown restrictions we were unable to attend his funeral or meet with his family and I would like to use these few words to express our condolences to his wife, Elizabeth, and his family.”
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Chaplains’ Prayer & Info Dereck Grant Scotland North
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ow, it is very difficult to put something into words that can articulate what has happened over the last few months. Of course, there has been COVID-19 which has brought along its own challenges. However, there is always someone who needs our support as we serve the rail industry. For example, I have been supporting someone who has recently been bereaved of a loved one which was very difficult for them because it was emotionally draining for them. Then we had the train derailment near Stonehaven which has been a very painful time for so many people, especially for the families, the friends and the colleagues of the bereaved. Yet, I was able to say a few words of comfort, and a prayer at Aberdeen Station during a special remembrance service. After all, sometimes it is just being there for people and for people to know that you genuinely care about them
Johanna Childs Scotland East
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am grateful to have returned to work a week ago. It is great to be back and to be surrounded by friendly faces (mainly pairs of eyes) in uniforms. Good to hear the whistle blow. Listening to announcements of the list of stations on route. It is truly a privilege. Please continue to pray for Railway staff here in the North who are
affected by the tragic loss of colleagues and friends, killed in the derailment at Stonehaven. May God give peace in those hearts that cry out for answers.
Andrea Smyth London North
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am finding little opportunities are coming up everywhere. For instance, yesterday I visited a police station, to take some beautiful posters designed for our emergency services by London artists. Many have Bible verses on them. None of the officers were there, however, there was a lovely Muslim lady in the mess room who helped me sort through the posters and choose ones that we thought the officers would like. It was her first day in the job and it was such a blessing to meet her. Also, I had the opportunity to take some posters to another new BTP station a few days later, whilst following up an incident. There was only one officer there as the rest of the crew were on a job. He told me about his planned holiday in France and then helped me choose some colourful posters to put up in the new office space.
Mike Roberts North West
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t the moment there are a huge variety of challenges amongst our railway colleagues. From establishing the safest ways of working to restoring confidence and
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passenger numbers it is clear that the railway will take a long time to recover. In the last months a lot of my time has been about supporting people struggling with mental health problems, whether or not directly linked to COVID19. I’m really encouraged by some amazing links with Network Rail, Train Operators and BTP in the North West as we look to put in new ways to encourage good mental health in staff and make sure that Chaplaincy is promoted as a key part of the toolkit that managers and staff can use to enhance the wellbeing of our railway family. I’ve been so encouraged by the welcome back I’ve received on the network and pray that we can build on this over the coming months.
Andrew Buchanan South West
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ittle did I know that when I started out on my working life 43 years ago, that having begun vocationally with British Rail, then as a Scenes of Crime Police Officer, a Paramedic Manager and, latterly, a train driver for Avanti West Coast, that this experience would not go to waste as I take on the role as your Chaplain for the South West of England. A testimony in itself and one I am sure I will share in time to come, but for now, this is not about me, but more as to what I can do for you, so this is an ideal opportunity for me to introduce myself and extend that hand of friendship irrespective as to the position you hold. To borrow a phrase “Chaplaincy is
Support on life’s journey
Christianity with its sleeves rolled up” is how I see my role as I embark upon this journey with you.
Christopher Henley London & South West
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ockdown, Furlough, Shielding, Isolating are all words part of our revised vocabulary since COVID-19 changed our lives on 23 March of this year. All words that for so many people strike fear due to the devastating effects associated with each. However, this time of dreadful disruption has also been a time of opportunity. Although the virus isolated us, it also brought us closer together. l ‘met’ far more people from the railway industry, British Transport Police and Network Rail through the mediums of Zoom, Teams and Skype than l could ever have when making random or even invited pastoral visits to offices. Facebook and Messenger too have been exploited allowing us to have access to each other. It is far easier to meet via the mediums, so please let us, in our isolation, come closer and ‘meet’ to support each other, and together become ZoomMeister friends.
Ralph Coleman West Midlands
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s the railway begins to return to some sort of normality, I am looking forward to getting back to work, to re-engage with staff and offer support. I have missed the interaction
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Chaplains’ Prayer & Info of talking their issues through with them. Please pray for the mental wellbeing of all rail staff. For those who have continued to work and have still had to deal with verbal and physical abuse. For those who have been furloughed or worked from home and had to deal with a different environment. For those who have had to self-isolate because someone they have been in contact with has been affected. For those who have lost loved ones, friends or colleagues and not only had to deal with the loss but also the new funeral arrangements. Finally please pray for the management of the railway companies who are having to re-evaluate the business with the substantial decrease in passenger revenue.
Hannah Tuck South Wales & the Marches
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uring your times of prayer I ask that you bring to your mind all Welsh rail staff. Staff from Transport for Wales, Network Rail, British Transport Police and other people working across the network. Thank the Lord for their tireless work over the last few months keeping the trains running safely. Please particularly pray for those who have had to make significant decisions with timetables, staffing and operations. Pray that their workload will ease. Please pray for the protection of staff. Also pray that they will get the support they need from Railway Mission, managers, unions etc as they face challenges, stress, anxieties and
demands. Pray that they will face these difficulties with resilience.
Angela Harwood North East
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ver lockdown I was invited to take a number of funerals, some railway related, some not. It was a strange and humbling experience. It was an opportunity, too, to share the work we do at Railway Mission and many were surprised and pleased that such a service exists. The last few weeks have seen my return to the railway, and it has been interesting to, very slowly, see it start to come to life again. I have been welcomed back and people have shared their stories with me of their own battle with COVID-19, family members who they have only just been able to reunite with, and changes of job roles that have taken place in my absence. Proverbs 12:25 tells us that" Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up". As Railway Mission chaplains we have an amazing opportunity to bring that word, underpinned by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John Roe London & South West
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t is a relief and a joy to be back at work following the pandemic lockdown, supporting railway staff in the Great Western Railway (GWR) region. Staff have been pleased and grateful
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to encounter their chaplains face-to-face once again, sharing their experiences during these unprecedented times for the railways. Whilst there have been restrictions on access to certain railway installations, nevertheless ‘remote’ means of communication have been enabled, including video conferencing and telephone, to enable keeping in touch with staff, many of whom have appreciated the opportunity to chat and share their concerns and anxieties during these challenging times. I have also focussed upon supporting Christian colleagues within the Railway Industry, in their workplace presence and witness. Please pray that during this time of ongoing travel and visit restrictions, we will be able, using effective means of communication, to continue and increase our availability to support Railway staff.
Graham Whitehead Scotland West
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missed being out and about on the network during lockdown, supporting people and sharing in their lives. Since returning, I have shared in their fears around employment and the health risks all around them, but I have also been encouraged by their determination to keep the railway running well, and I give thanks for that. Here in Scotland, there is a strong desire that the cultural shift really will be different, that society and the railways will not just try to go back to the money driven society we have had
Support on life’s journey
since the 1980s, but will move towards a greener, more people-centred economics. The railways, well supported by politicians in Scotland, will play an important part in this. Please pray for the people on the railways in Scotland during these challenging times, that they continue to be supremely dedicated professionals running a great railway.
John Robinson London & South
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t is a privilege to return to the Railway Mission and I am pleased to find that staff members are open and willing to share their difficulties with me. Praise God for all the wonderful work our predecessors have done, to build such a strong presence on the railway. The current social changes bring new anxieties for staff and I pray that we can be sensitive to these and resist the temptation to make snap judgements on the behaviour of others, as we travel around the rail network. Railway workers have provided an essential service in recent months and with no great recognition. I also pray that we can be aware of this fact and take any opportunities to thank railway folk for the sacrifices they have personally made.
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Chaplains’ Prayer & Info David Hardy Gloucester & Worcester
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ne advantage of being a volunteer chaplain is that I have not been furloughed and so I have been able to keep in touch with many railway folk, present and retired, by phone and email. Sadly, of course, visits to the railway, travelling on trains and home visits were not possible. However, many in lockdown have appreciated phone calls, and I have enjoyed keeping up with people’s news. A number of retired railwaymen have died recently and I have not been able to attend their funerals. However, as restrictions begin to ease, I hope to conduct an open air committal of cremated remains at Bitton Railway Station, near Bristol. Later in the month I have a graveside memorial service. I have found the Teams and Zoom meetings valuable and have got to know many of the other Chaplains so much better.
Helen Bartlett North East
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arch the eighth, I had plate and pins put in my broken right arm. Soon afterwards, on a Teams call, Liam said we were all being furloughed. Very few trains running through, minimal number of staff working. Very busy with friends, family and colleagues. Also with church, courses, webinars, zooms, contacts, streaming services.
Chatted with a Metro driver, minimised calls to staff. Today’s been great, back in touch with staff. Encouraging replies. Real desire to get back to my patch. Small steps, small encounters, planting seeds wherever and whenever I travel. I sometimes need the courage to steel myself to talk to people but it can be fun, certainly challenging, and I love responding spontaneously to people and circumstances. We do get a lot of ‘God chances’. So much to learn and do. I trust God will show me His best way in all this.
Steve Rowe Area Manager South
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e’re gradually returning to rail installations, and stations are beginning to have more travellers, mostly workers. Being out and about, however brief, has been a relief in many ways. Lowered restrictions mean we are able to meet up with some station staff, which has the effect of cheering them also as they see us again. They have been at the frontline keeping services running and stations open. Most of our work at the moment remains from home where we are making phone calls and sending emails to staff. We have also had some interesting chats online via Teams and Zoom, which has transformed the way we operate, and will probably remain a means of communication in the future. On a note of thanks, Skanska have offered to donate furniture for the
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refurbished office at Euston station, which we hope to see operational in around eighteen months. Office space – the last frontier.
Andrew Hall West Midlands, Area Manager North
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t's great to see colleagues returning to work now. It has been a privilege to work alongside Liam and Steve over the last few months as we maintained a chaplaincy response for the industry. As things get busier there is much to be done. Whilst 'working from home' is part of our new dynamic there is much to be gained from personal presence where this can be achieved expediently and safely. Please pray that we, as chaplains, may easily make the required adjustments to how we approach our work, and that we will grasp with grace the opportunities that are put before us each day.
Dylis George London & Southeastern
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ne of the greatest moments in my life is just being there to provide 'support on life's journey.' How I relish the online contacts I have had supporting staff members of the railway through the lockdown. The importance of social media platforms came alive to me in this season more than ever. This season has been an eye opener and a learning curve. For the
Support on life’s journey
very first time in my lifetime, I have successfully conducted meetings via Teams and Zoom for which I can safely say, "all things work together for good". Great time out with my team members online for a weekly online chat and support cannot be overemphasised. In spite of all the uncertainties, our online meetings and chats not only keep me alive but being there for many others has been absolutely fantastic. As a railway chaplain, I have, in such a time as this, continued to receive and bring faith, hope and love.
Welcome to new chaplains It’s a pleasure to be able to announce the arrival of two new chaplains to Railway Mission and to welcome back a familiar face. Johanna Childs is looking after the East of Scotland, is already in action, and is featured on pages 4-7 of the magazine. Andrew Buchanan has railway experience as a former driver, and has taken on the role of chaplain in the South West. John Robinson is back from a brief sabbatical to look after Southern routes, to which he switches after four years with Southeastern.
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Doing what comes naturally Andrea Smyth, chaplain for London North, writes, “Here are John, and Kate the Kestrel. I met them at Marylebone station, scaring off pigeons and seagulls. It was a hot day and John told me that Kate had been a bit slower than usual. However, her role isn’t to catch other birds – just to frighten them away. This comes so naturally to her. She has been born with this instinct. God created her to be this way. You can see her in the picture, happily perching on John’s hand, poised to be released. “I have realised, through working with the police sniffer dogs, that if you care about an animal, you will not force it into anything. Sniffer dogs and working kestrels are using their natural instincts to help humans out. When they do their jobs they are fitting like round pegs into
round holes. When sniffer dogs find suspect packages, their tails wag excitedly. The handler throws them a ball, and they scoot off, paws scrabbling on a shiny railway station floor. “There is a real joy in doing what you have been created to do, whether you’re a kestrel chasing pigeons, a sniffer dog rooting out interestingsmelling things, or a human being using the gifts God has given you and listening to, and obeying, his call on your life. “And there is also a freedom, trusting that if we obey our instructions and carry out what we are asked to do, we will not need to worry – God will provide for all our needs (Matt 6:25-27).”
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