Life On Rails

Life On Rails

Life on Rails is Greater Anglia’s new podcast, hosted by Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright. In each episode we’ll speak to special guests to look behind the scenes and find out how the railway works. We’ll be talking about new trains, how to get the cheapest fare, what makes us green and putting a spotlight on some of the people who work at Greater Anglia. We’ll also be running a travel surgery to help one guest find the ideal location to visit on our network. We’d love to hear from you, please tweet us at @GreateAngliaPr #LifeOnRails

Episodes

May 4, 2025 37 mins

In this episode of Life On Rails, Lucy and Dom celebrate and pay homage to Pride month. They welcome special guest, Robert George, the co-chair of Norwich Pride and chat to Lee Ivor Smith who is a member of Greater Anglia’s LGBTQ+ network group, Affinity.

Alan Neville is Greater Anglia’s Stakeholder, Community and Customer Engagement Manager and joins to discuss how he has just celebrated an incredible 45 years in servi...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, Lucy and Dom celebrate International Women's Day by talking to and championing some brilliant women working in the rail industry.  
Bessie Matthews, one of a handful of female freight drivers stops by to talk about her journey into the rail industry and why she wants more women to do the same. In addition, she'll be discussing the brilliant charity work she has done to raise money for the S...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, Lucy and Dom talk to Alan Hyde of Railway 200 about celebrating the past, present and future of the modern British railway. 

Dan Ribbits, Greater Anglia’s Learning and Development Facilitator stops by to talk about recruitment and training programs, and discusses how we support and develop our staff.

Community Rail Partnershi...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, Lucy and Dom speak to Greater Anglia’s brand new Managing Director, Martin Beable as he settles into life in his new role.

Greater Anglia's resident fares guru, Ken Strong, discusses how to find the best value fares whilst travelling on the network this Christmas.

Katie Goldthorpe, the Community Rail Partnership Officer for the New River Line, talks about some of the beautiful locations and festive...

Mark as Played

In the first episode of Series 2, Lucy and Dom speak to the journalist, broadcaster, and railway advocate Michael Portillo about his extraordinary adventures. 

Greater Anglia's Safeguarding and Community Safety Manager, Georgia Payne, discusses how we can support people struggling with their mental health. 

Talia Rushmore, the Community Rail Partnership Officer for the East Suffolk Lines, speaks about some of the beautiful location...

Mark as Played

In the final episode of Season 1, Juliette and Lucy speak to Sally Shaw, Director of the Firstsite art gallery in Colchester, about creativity, rail travel and days out by train.

Greater Anglia’s Engineering Director Martin Beable explains how the new trains have helped boost performance, while Georgia Payne, the operator’s Safeguarding and Trespass Prevention Lead, discusses partnership work with Samaritans and how small talk can ...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes at Greater Anglia, we are back at Norwich Theatre Royal to speak to special guest, Dame Trott AKA actor Richard Gauntlett, from this year’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Dame Trott shares her love for the region before she is sent on a special surprise trip.

Head of Business Readiness, Keely Lopes, explains how the business prepared for its new t...

Mark as Played

In this episode Juliette and Lucy take to the stage and speak to Stephen Crocker, CEO of Norwich Theatre Royal, about the bustling arts scene in the East and plans for the future.

They also find out what’s it like in the hot seat in control with Addie Quinnear, who works in our control centre in Romford.

… and just how clean is the air around your station? Environment and Energy manager Steph Evans discusses a pilot to monitor air ...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes at Greater Anglia, we speak to podcaster and writer Robbie Knox about relocating to Norfolk and his passion for the region.

We also hear from a train driver about the dangers of trespassing and the impact it can have, and we meet one of Greater Anglia’s area managers, Paula Wilson, who talks about her career journey from the skies to the rails.

And from ...

Mark as Played

In this episode of Life On Rails, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes at Greater Anglia, we hear from the managing director of Greater Anglia, Jamie Burles, who talks about what it’s like to be in charge of a large train company. We find out everything you need to know about engineering works on the railway and learn how special gadgets have saved the equivalent of over 1000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (the same amount ...

Mark as Played

In Episode 4 of Life On Rails we hear how two weeks’ work experience was the start of a lifetime career in the railway for Sarah Swanston, one of Greater Anglia’s first female drivers. ITV Anglia’s David Whiteley talks about rivalry between him and his wife, BBC Look East’s Amelia Reynolds and describes his dream day on the North Norfolk coast. Presenters Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright also find out there wa...

Mark as Played

Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright return to delve behind the scenes of Greater Anglia.

East Anglian poet Luke Wright talks about how his love of East Anglia inspires his work in the latest episode of Greater Anglia’s Life On Rails podcast. Listen to find out what Luke is writing next, and hear him read a poem about his dad’s daily commute to London.

This episode also reveals the extensive testing new trains are subjected t...

Mark as Played

In Episode 2 of Life on Rails, Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright take another look behind the scenes at Greater Anglia.

Have you ever wondered who decides what colour trains should be and designs the interior? In this episode we speak to Jason Brandon, who as brand manager of Greater Anglia, was responsible for what the new trains should look like – and answers the question - "why do they have carpets?”

Engineering directo...

Mark as Played
October 17, 2021 29 mins

Listen to this first episode of Greater Anglia’s new podcast to discover some interesting nuggets about life on rails. Find out how trains are made, how they’re kept clean and sanitised, and why leaves on the line are like black ice on the road. Discover which destination we recommend to YouTuber Geoff Marshall, and how you can get the cheapest fares.

We’d love to hear from you, please tweet us at @GreateAngliaPr ...

Mark as Played
October 4, 2021 1 min

Life on Rails is Greater Anglia’s new podcast, hosted by Juliette Maxam and Lucy Wright. In each episode we’ll speak to special guests to look behind the scenes and find out how the railway works. We’ll be talking about new trains, how to get the cheapest fare, what makes us green and putting a spotlight on some of the people who work at Greater Anglia. We’ll also be running a travel surgery to help one gues...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

    True Crime Tonight

    If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.