Chaplains’ Prayer & Info

Great Northern, LNER, York to Kings Cross London

During recent visits, two topics of conversation are common: the ongoing strikes and the cost of living. Of course, these are interlinked with the dispute leading to loss of income. There is a real sense of unease about the future especially with the planned GBR bringing questions about potential closure of ticket offices, voluntary redundancy, and restructuring. Uncertainty is a state of being for all of us but maybe we can pray that through our work we can all, in the words of St Augustine, be "instruments of peace" as we pass through stations, offices and depots.

Over the years I have met thousands of railway staff. Some in lifelong careers while others move on to pastures new. A retired lifelong railman, whose older son had also worked for GWR, phoned me say his younger son (43) had unexpectedly died in the night, and wondered if I could officiate at his funeral. Whilst it is humbling to be asked, it also brings home the fact that we as chaplains, together with Christian rail employees, are for many the embodiment of Church. We are indeed 'ambassadors for Christ.' Continue to pray that our witness remains bright and fresh.

At the risk of looking very unprofessional to everyone, after about a year of asking staff, on and off, whether there were actually any people based at a very vague location I had been asked to visit, and being told emphatically that no there weren’t, someone finally told me that yes, there are staff there, and they told me where to find the place. I went along, was let in immediately, and received a warm welcome. I think there’s something in the Bible about persistence, even to the point of slightly annoying people occasionally.

It has been a sad time in the railway community. I have conducted a large number of funerals of retired men. I knew them and their fascinating stories. At the funeral I share about Christ’s love and victory over death and that although the hope of heaven is important, the Gospel is also for now: in

Bristol Temple Meads

London North, ARL, Chiltern, Avanti, Eurostar, GTR, TfL North

West Midlands, Gloucester, Retired Railway Staff

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks…

faith He is with us and brings us comfort, peace, and courage to face the future. Often friends and colleagues provide a “Guard Of Honour” for the coffin. The archway of green flags shows that it is safe to travel through death because Christ is with us and the road ahead is clear!

South & Mid Wales & The Marches

These are uncertain times for the railway. Please pray for staff dealing with the upcoming introduction of GBR, job instability, the financial crisis and the upheaval of industrial action. Pray too for customer facing staff and BTP officers who are dealing with public frustration with disrupted train services. Please pray for co-workers' relationships which can become strained due to the industrial action and the increased workload many are facing. Historically, economic upheaval has led to a rise in suicide figures, so please pray for those who are contemplating ending their lives - that they'll find appropriate support and a hope for the future. “Purgatory, Heaven, Hell,“ and, “why didn’t Jesus feature more in his teenage years in the Bible?” Just some elements of conversation in local depots. It has been a busy few weeks with three fatalities on the line, a death in the Station Hotel, a freight train shunt, a sudden death on a train and a number of near misses. It has not been quiet around here. The strikes continue and there are always the vulnerable folk. Life is still as complex. And yet there is no doubt that God is right here ‘in the mix’. I thank God completely for his compassionate support.

I was recently asked to attend a fatal accident, involving a Railway Contractor. Apart from the tragic nature of the whole situation, what really became apparent was the need for pastoral support to be made available to the colleagues involved. Network Rail contacted the Railway Mission and asked that we offer that support, in this instance.Sometimes, simply talking helps…

North East, Newcastle

Southern, Gatwick Express, GTR & TfL for Southern Routes

Please continue to pay for Railway Mission chaplains. As this situation highlighted, chaplains meet a very real and consistent need for love, care, and support in the lives of railway workers and their families; support that many other industries lack.

We give thanks for the many Christians working in the industry, who appreciate the support offered by chaplains, as they seek to be 'salt and light' in the workplace. I have been supporting staff who have suffered a succession of serious incidents in recent months, including staff assaults, suicides, and a suspected murder. A Duty Manager at one of my stations approached me, asking if I could obtain Bibles, to display along with other free literature available at the station, "so that the message of hope can be read and experienced." I was able to supply them with Railway Mission branded New Testaments.

It's a joy and a privilege to return to serving with the Railway Mission, alongside Graham and Dereck. I am enjoying being back and visiting stations I have never heard of before. Achnasheen, Achanalt, and Achnashellach. I did wonder if I had been transported to Germany. My Line Manager, Andrew, has asked me if I was "going for the hat trick." Yes. Having previously covered both the East and West of Scotland and now the north where Dereck has done such a wonderful job. Please pray for opportunities to share God's love, guidance, protection, wisdom, and compassion as I take on this new area.

Great Western Railway, Paddington, TfL West

North Scotland

Area Manager London & The South, TfL Central

One thing we need prayer for on the railways is stability. Right now, with industrial action, the changes towards Great British Rail and extreme weather events following the pandemic, the industry needs a boost–a sustained period of certainty–both for the travelling public, and for the future of employees. There's nothing better than being appreciated for the work you do, and all staff need this. A kind word and a sense of affirmation will always go far. Our chaplains also do a fabulous job, and are appreciated, so it's great when we are told this, or, as you will see from Michele's story (pages 4-5), when people give to support our work.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks…

South West Railway, Waterloo to the South Coast, TfL South West

“You have been a breath of fresh air” was how a group of Dispatchers, who had witnessed a tragic incident, summed up our conversation recently. As l travel around the Wessex area, I encounter so many BTP, Network Rail and SWR teams who want to just have a chat about their life, their work and show their enthusiasm for ‘working’ (many see their work as ‘service’, not ‘work’) as part of the railway family. It is they who are a breath of fresh air. My prayer is that we all continue to be that ‘breath of fresh air’ to all.

These are unprecedented times in which my role as a chaplain is very much needed and I am grateful for conversations I have had, especially with new staff. It is good that staff and managers are using or signposting people to their chaplain especially after fatalities. Some Area Managers and a Human Resource Lead have recently called on me to support their staff following deaths in service. Please pray for family members and staff members who have lost a loved one or colleague. Please pray for God’s comfort and peace in times of difficulty. Thank you for your continued prayer support.

I landed in Ipswich unannounced, to hear the sad news that a staff member had passed. "You have saved me a job I was about to call you" said the Field Manager. We never know when we’re suddenly needed. The next surprise: a collection jar with £150 was given to Railway Mission from one of the teams as a thank you for my support. I was blown away, how lovely. Another employee recalling to a colleague how I had supported and helped him was totally shocked to see me after several years. "Covid has shaken me like I have never experienced before" he said and thanked me for listening. What a privilege and pleasure to meet railway people as they work.

Southeastern, GTR for South Eastern routes, TfL South

London East, Anglia, Abellio East Anglia, c2c, TfL East, Crossrail

Cambridge drop-in Railway Station for a coffee and a chat

Vector:GDJforpixabay

East Midlands Railway, London St Pancras

The continued work of Railway Mission has been assured by its adaptability to changes in the rail industry. While funding is a faith journey, the faithful prayer support of many has enabled the mission to continue in this work. I was reminded of the legacy of Railway Mission at a church in Derby who still celebrate their origins as a Railway Mission chapel. Our focus is no longer church planting, but we still serve as 'the church' to those in our areas and I give thanks for the opportunities to share my faith with others, both at points of crisis and in incidental meetings. Please pray for more of these opportunities.

I met Joanne Maguire, ScotRail's Chief Operating Officer, recently. She joined the industry in April, as ScotRail moved from being a franchise to an arms-length government operation. Change of any sort can cause uncertainty and anxiety for all staff, so please pray for Joanne as she both learns about our industry and leads its people through these “interesting times,” and that we chaplains will be able to support her and her team. Scotland is not exempt from the industrial relations problems in the industry, please pray for good leadership, fair dealings, and a just settlement to these disputes.

Chaplaincy is always a balancing act. It's about being independent of the operating companies in the support we offer, but also being embedded in those companies in a way that they can use us for helpful support. Give thanks for some really encouraging opportunities with companies to work with them to engage with teams to raise awareness of Railway Mission and the work we do. Please also pray for me, as Phil leaves, and I pick up contacts in the Manchester area again.

West Highlands and Central Scotland

North West, North Wales, Liverpool

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks…

Area Manager North, West Midlands, Avanti, Chiltern

Much of my time, recently, has been spent with people who have been focused on delivering the ‘Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022.’ Staff from TOCs, Network Rail and BTP have been putting their plans together for several years. Please give thanks for them and what they have achieved. Another focus, for me, has been reinstating some of the regular visits initiated before ‘Covid’ and ‘Lockdown’ were in anyone’s vocabulary. Just recently I have made one or two breakthroughs in terms of establishing the right contacts. I have had to learn that the ‘gatekeeper’ is not necessarily who I thought it was. Please pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for us.

Why not ‘adopt’ and support one of our chaplains with a donation to Railway Mission? Or join our prayer supporters in upholding chaplains as they go about their work?

By making a donation, you will enable chaplains to continue in their full or part-time ministry to rail staff across England, Scotland and Wales. You can locate the chaplain that serves your local area at railwaymission.org/ find-a-chaplain.

Pictured: Chaplain Angela Levitt-Harwood, based in Hull, serving the North East.

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