Together Weekly 14.09.23

TOGETHER

A PURR-FECT BIRTHDAY FOR BOLT

Bolt, Junior Pest Controller at Huddersfield Station, recently celebrated his 5th birthday, receiving plenty of cards and presents from his fans, including some Dreamies – yum! Bolt also was sent some birthday money and instead of spending it on more treats, he and the team at Huddersfield have donated £100 to five charities that are close to their hearts. Those charities are:

• MND Association - The charity focuses on improving access to care and research, and campaigns for those people living with or affected by motor neurone disease

• The Welcome Centre - A Huddersfield based food bank which helps local families and individuals in crisis with food, toiletries, and other essential items

• Men’s Shed - A community group based next to Huddersfield Railway Station, which supports men of all ages who may have experienced life changing events such as redundancy, retirement or bereavement, or be in recovery from addictions or mental or physical health problems

• Huddersfield Women’s AidA charity based in Kirklees which supports women and children fleeing domestic abuse, honourbased violence and forced marriage, into safe accommodation

• Forget Me Not - A children’s hospice that supports children with life-shortening conditions, and their families and families living with the loss of their child across West Yorkshire

Angie Hunte, Station Manager, said:

“Felix and Bolt are well loved, and the pair often attract visitors from around the world.

“ We try to deter their fans from sending any money to the station and if people wish to send a gift, they instead make a charity donation on the furry duo’s behalf.”

If you would like to wish Bolt a happy birthday or check out the duo’s antics, you can find their Facebook page here

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Oldroyd (Gateline Assistant), Chrissy Walsh (Travel Advisor), Angela Hunte (Station Manager), Matthew Marshall (Gateline Assistant), and Amanda Wasp (Travel Advisor)

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE AT THE NATIONAL RAIL AWARDS 2023

Good luck to Paul O’Nions and Ian Watson who have been shortlisted for awards at tonight’s National Rail Awards in London.

The National Rail Awards celebrate the best in the industry, rewarding excellence in every aspect of the railway, from the front line to engineering triumphs.

Paul O’Nions, Customer Service Supervisor, and Ian Watson, Driver, have both been nominated for the Outstanding Personal Contribution award. Paul has been recognised for going above and beyond his job role, giving the best possible customer service. Ian has been nominated for his role in raising awareness of mental health problems amongst colleagues and his work to promote Andy’s Man Club.

We’ve also been shortlisted for the Innovation of the Year award – with our work to improve accessibility at our stations recognised, such as British Sign Language message boards and My Station View. Good luck to all the colleagues involved. We’ll keep you updated on how we get on.

THREE PEAKS IN 24 HOURS

At the start of September, Steve Hurst, Operations Standards Interface Manager, took on the incredible National Three Peaks 24-hour challenge, all in aid of blood cancer research.

The challenge involves climbing three of the UK’s biggest mountains: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), with climbing and travelling time being tracked. Steve, alongside some friends, was able to complete this in 23 hours and 45 minutes, an amazing achievement.

Steve is still raising money for Blood Cancer UK, after a friend of his was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia in his 20s but has since recovered thanks to new and bespoke treatments, and because of the amazing work of the NHS. Blood Cancer UK funds research into blood cancer and helps support those affected by the disease by offering guidance and peer support.

If you would like to support a worthy cause , you can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/page/ kmcthreepeaksforbcuk

GOING THE EXTRA MILE!

We’re always being sent some great messages about our colleagues on social media. Here are a few of the amazing comments we received last week:

OUR NEXT ACTIVE HUB EVENT

We’d like to remind you about our next exciting Active Hub event…

The Big Team Run!

Starting on Monday 2 October, instead of competing against other colleagues, this event will see you up against people from companies around the world to see who comes out on top. This is a virtual running race covering over 650 miles, the length of the US Pacific Highway, with teams having only four weeks to complete the challenge. Only two teams of eight are allowed per company, so you’ll need to be quick. You can register your interest at https:// www.totalactivehub.com/big-team-run, you’ll need to register by 25 September to be entered.

If you don’t have an Active Hub account, you’re missing out on racking your fitness and taking part in these events. You can register at www. totalactivehub.com/tpe

If you have a TPE email - login with your email and the password TPExp2023!

If you don’t have access to a TPE email or your TPE isn’t accepted – click ‘register’, enter your details and the code TPE2023

Good luck!

TOGETHER, WE CAN END LONELINESS ELEARN

Our charity partner, the Campaign to End Loneliness, has developed an eLearn to help our colleagues to understand loneliness and the positive impact that they can have whilst working on trains, at stations, or even just travelling around the network. The interactive course defines the different types of loneliness, looks at the causes, and how to tell if someone is lonely. You can access the eLearn here

If you’ve forgotten your eHub login or have any issues accessing the site, you can contact the Learning & Development team at landd.admin@tpexpress.co.uk

Leaves on the line

Autumn leaves on the line are the rail equivalent of black ice on the roads but we work hard to minimise delays and get our customers safely from A to B.

Why do leaves on the line cause such big problems?

Leaves are swept onto the track by the slipstream of passing trains. When light rain falls, train wheels crush the wet leaves at a pressure of over 30 tonnes per square inch. This compacts and carbonizes the leaves, forming a hard, Teflon-like coating on the rails.

It can be like driving on black ice which means our drivers have to adapt the way they drive at this time of year and sometimes have to slow down.

How do we keep our trains moving?

All of our ultra-modern trains are fitted with devices that spray sand onto the track to increase their grip, but sometimes we still need to reduce speed. A bit like a vehicle on a motorway, when the trains have to slow down it can have a knock-on effect on other services.

What could this mean for our customers?

Due to the reduced speeds across the network some services may be affected and we recommend customers check before they travel at https://www.journeycheck.com/tpexpress/