New Years Honours, 2024

[whole diary]

[bobm]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)

A champion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the rail industry has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list.

Ruth Busby, People and Transformation Director (Regional) for GWR and Network Rail Wales and Western, said she was overwhelmed to receive the honour.

Her award ‘for services to diversity in the rail industry’ recognises not only her work within GWR and Network Rail, but the numerous other organisations she represents to help revolutionise the railway.

From SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)

Two SWR colleagues receive the British Empire Medal for their work during Operation London Bridge, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Chico Coulibaly for leading the SWR team at Waterloo, which saw many thousands of extra customers during the lying in state period and funeral

Sam Camfield for ensuring that visual impact of our stations was respectful and honoured the late Queen

[TaplowGreen]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)

A champion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the rail industry has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list.

Ruth Busby, People and Transformation Director (Regional) for GWR and Network Rail Wales and Western, said she was overwhelmed to receive the honour.

Her award ‘for services to diversity in the rail industry’ recognises not only her work within GWR and Network Rail, but the numerous other organisations she represents to help revolutionise the railway.

Great news - I am sure her contribution has been invaluable - lets hope her GWR colleagues are inspired to similar transformational efforts to "revolutionise the railway" and get the trains running reliably and on time in the coming year, 7 days a week, giving their customers what they pay for irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, religious persuasion, sexual preference or gender (both of them).

[grahame]

Huge congratulations to Rizwan Javed too on his MBE - very much someone who has made a big difference to so many lives - not only the number mentioned but also to their families and those who are involved on the railway in "person hit by train".

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

A rail worker who has saved 29 people from taking their own lives since 2015 has been honoured with an MBE.

Rizwan Javed, from east London, works for the MTR^▸ (Mass Transit Railway, based in Hong Kong) Elizabeth line at Ealing Broadway station.

He has helped to save each life by being alert and approaching vulnerable individuals in difficult situations.

Rizwan has done a great deal for many people - but what a dreadful reflection on our society that there's a need for people like him. How can we catch people before the hit the safety net Rizwan provides or - much much worse - be in a situation where they are not caught by such a net.  Another "person hit by train" at Swindon today, I believe; outcome unknown.