April 5, 2022 • 33 mins
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 was more to getting new trains than just the trains themselves and give top tips on the best way to get a seat on a busy train. Finally, resident fares guru Ken Strong explains how to buy a cheap ticket online.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lucy Wright (00:02):
Hi, I'm Lucy Wright.
Juliette Maxam (00:04):
I'm Juliette Maxam, and this is Life on Rails.
Lucy Wright (00:07):
We both work in PR at Greater Anglia, and we
are taking you behind the scenes of one of the
largest train companies in the UK.
Juliette Maxam (00:14):
We're talking to a range of people from site managers
to engineering experts, as well as some special Greater Anglia celebrities.
Lucy Wright (00:22):
In this spring episode, we speak to the co- presenter
of ITV News Anglia, David Whiteley.
David Whiteley (00:27):
I remember a former colleague of mine said to me
many, many, many, many years ago. He said, " You have
to have one good question and then listen." So I
think that's something very special.
Lucy Wright (00:35):
Our resident fares guru, Ken Strong.
Ken Strong (00:37):
Make sure you specify exactly the journey you want to make and
if you're making a return journey put in both ways
at the one time because sometimes the return ticket will
be cheaper than two singles, which is a mistake some people
make, they buy a single and a single back, which
might end up costing them more money.
Lucy Wright (00:49):
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia's Client and Program Director.
Andrew Goodrum (00:52):
And Mum just turned around and said, " I can't believe this." She said, "This has really
changed our whole travel experience. This is lovely that we
can all travel together as a family."
Lucy Wright (01:01):
And one of our first female drivers, Sarah Swanston.
Sarah Swanston (01:04):
If you speak to my gran, I told her what I
was about to do. She said to me, " Don't drink,
don't smoke, don't gamble and please don't swear." I promised her I wouldn't.
Lucy Wright (01:12):
Juliette and I will also be giving you tips and tricks
on how to find a seat on a busy train.
Juliette Maxam (01:17):
To kick things off though, we are going to speak to the Greater
Anglia Site Manager, Phil Hogg. Hi Phil. Thanks for joining
us on the Greener Anglia segment of the podcast. And
we're speaking today in a staff garden by Norwich station.
Just behind you, there's a honey bee hotel which I
believe you built. Can you tell us a little bit about
(01:39):
it please?
Phil Hogg (01:40):
Yeah. I did this bit of a little scheme, which
we're trying to spread throughout the network in Norfolk. The
honey bee is close to extinct, so we're trying to
promote it where we build these. This one's made out of
a normal pallet with a bit more trimming of wood.
As you can see, it's been here over a year
now and they're actually starting to use it. So it's serving its purpose.
Juliette Maxam (02:00):
So it looks like a giant rabbit hutch almost with a little
bit of chicken wire. And then it's got a lovely
roof and lots of logs with holes in it. And
some of the holes are even blocked in a little
bit. Why is that?
Phil Hogg (02:13):
That is actually the honey bee at the end of the season, will
actually put their eggs in there and the pollen, they hibernate
and then break out the next day and their babies will
actually come out as well.
Juliette Maxam (02:24):
So we're actually going to have some baby bees in
this garden then.
Phil Hogg (02:26):
Yeah.
Juliette Maxam (02:26):
Oh, wow.
Phil Hogg (02:26):
And then they'll start pollinating the garden again, and then it just
goes on and on over the season.
Juliette Maxam (02:32):
So why did you build this honey bee hotel? Are
you interested in bees? Do you keep bees?
Phil Hogg (02:38):
Yeah. Well, I think everyone who's interested in the environment,
they go for one subject. Obviously I looked at this
from another company before I started with Greater Anglia and
I did a project there and it worked and it
just got larger and larger. So I thought, well, I
did it there. I want to do it here.
Juliette Maxam (02:55):
So you're like single handedly saving the bees in Norfolk.
Phil Hogg (02:59):
Well, no, the word is starting to spread. More staff
are doing it. They're doing it in the gardens where
you can make a little honey bee, farm or hotel.
We have got other schemes this year where we're going
to promote in our on our rural stations.
Juliette Maxam (03:14):
What is your job? How come you got to do this?
Phil Hogg (03:17):
I'm a Site Manager for Greater Anglia. So I look after
any projects or schemes in the Norfolk region. So I
come along with quite a lot of scrap wood. I
thought, instead of throw it in the skip, why not
make some use of it? And that's why I've done this.
Juliette Maxam (03:31):
And you say, you've got some more schemes in the
pipeline. Is that also using bits and pieces from projects
at depos and stations?
Phil Hogg (03:39):
Yeah. It's a cage effect. We're calling it the green
wall, but we've done a little thing to it where
it's not just going to be foliage and plants. It's actually
going to have logs in for the honey bees as well.
Juliette Maxam (03:51):
Explain that a little bit more. So are you building a green wall and
where's it going to be?
Phil Hogg (03:56):
It'll be built on site (inaudible) stations. I think
one of the stations we're looking at is Reedham, which
is out towards Lowestoft. So we're going to start there
and see how it works, which I think it'll go fantastic, and
then we're going to spread it along that line and
let's see.
Juliette Maxam (04:13):
And so what is a green wall though?
Phil Hogg (04:15):
Green wall, it's just a timber, or it could be
steel, frame. You put soil in, plants and foliage in
and that'll bloom and it just looks a lovely effect.
And it's all from waste materials.
Juliette Maxam (04:27):
Sounds absolutely magnificent and of course supports the work that
our adopters do in the gardens across the network where
they're improving the biodiversity of our communities and our stations
with their gardens, they've got honey bee hotels and bird
boxes and so on. I hear you were doing something
with compost bins as well.
Phil Hogg (04:48):
Yeah. So we involve the community. We involve local authorities.
So the one I've got at the moment is we have
a lot of scrap timber material at the Crown Point.
So I'm going to use that with the local authority's adult learning
center, donate to them and some bricks, because they do
joinery brickwork and plastering and painting decorating. Then them guys
(05:13):
or girls who are getting taught will come on site.
So it'll give them the experience of a site out
from the center and they're going to build us a
compost bin in Norwich station.
Juliette Maxam (05:24):
Oh brilliant. Well, I really look forward to seeing the green
wall and in fact green walls across the network and
I'm sure our customers will enjoy seeing those too. And
it's just fantastic what you're doing to promote biodiversity in
the area. So thanks very much for telling us all
about it and thanks for everything you're doing Phil.
Phil Hogg (05:42):
Yeah. Thank you very much. Let's look at the future
and let's see what comes out with these green walls.
Juliette Maxam (05:46):
Absolutely.
Lucy Wright (05:50):
It's now time for Meet A Member of Staff and
our guest with this episode is Sarah Swanston. Sarah qualified
as a train driver over 25 years ago and she
was the first ever female train driver in Norwich. She's
still a qualified driver and you never know she might
be driving your train right now, but these days Sarah
is the Right Time Railway Manager focused on improving and
maintaining punctuality. Hi Sarah, thank you so much for joining us.
Sarah Swanston (06:12):
Hiya.
Lucy Wright (06:14):
Can you please describe your current role?
Sarah Swanston (06:16):
So as you say, I'm the Right Time Railway Manager, it's a mouthful,
but it is about performance within the route. So I
work quite locally with customer service teams, train service delivery
team, other ops teams and stuff. And we look at
issues within the route that we can do to then
improve the punctuality of the train services for the customers.
Lucy Wright (06:35):
And just talk me through your journey. How did you
come to be Norwich's first female train driver?
Sarah Swanston (06:40):
I had a vision when I was a youngster. I
was going to basically go in the police force. My
dad well and truly put me off that idea. And
he was the one who suggested I put in to
become a train driver, which I just laughed, because you
never saw female train drivers. So for work experience when I was at
school, I applied to go and do two weeks with
(07:00):
the railway to see what it was like. And I loved
it so much. I put my application form there and
then in, and I still had about 18 months left
to go at school. Once obviously left school, I went
for a job interview. I got asked to come for
a job interview. There's a little bit of a test and an
interview. Luckily I got the job interview when I became
on their railway training scheme, which used to be the
(07:21):
old youth training scheme. Obviously you can't do shift work
till you're 18. So they give you what they call
a Junior Railway Woman's position. And mine was on the
station servicing team going around all the local stations and
making sure they're maintained and gardens are kept tidy and
the stations were all cleaned. Then I got to be
18 and I got my very first proper job on
(07:41):
the railway, which was as a Carriage Cleaner at Norwich station. And I worked
with some really, really, really nice people. Hard work, I have to say
it's one of the hardest I think for what you
have to deal with sometimes. And then at 17 and a
half, I could then apply for the assessment to be become
a train driver. And that's an all day assessment, aptitude tests and color
(08:03):
light tests and how your reaction and stuff. Luckily, I
managed to pass that. I then got the position of
what they termed then was a Trainman Driver they called it, but
to make it a bit more PC, they put the
Train and then bracket W- O bracket man. So became
a Train( wo) man Driver. Eventually I got on a
driver's course, I think in 1996. And then I got
(08:26):
my first driver's job in October 1997. And that's where
I thought I'd stay, if I'm honest, I just thought, wait, that's
it, I'm going to stay as a train driver, quite
happy doing this. Then I became a Driver Instructor and
I quite liked doing that. And then I got to
sign all the routes up to London and then it
was like, " Oh, what next? What do I do next?"
(08:48):
And then a Driver Manager job came up and I put
in for that. And then off I went into the
management role. So that's sort of my short history. If
you like, of where, where it's all been.
Lucy Wright (09:00):
You're totally making the point here that the railway's a
really good place if you want to progress. So what
would you say to any women listening, particularly, who are
thinking about becoming a train driver?
Sarah Swanston (09:10):
So I think it's one of them jobs you may
not think of straight away, but if you are a
person that likes to work on their own. If you are
good at decision making, remaining calm sometimes in quite stressful
situations. And I just think if you like something different
every day and you want something outside of the normal,
(09:31):
then I think it's a really good job. And don't be put off
thinking you've got to be technically minded necessarily. My traction
course, if I'm going to be honest, I struggled, I'm not a person
that is very mechanically minded at all, if I'm honest.
My dad would tell you that when my car run out
of oil. There is people there that will help you
there. The training course now we've got simulators straight away
(09:54):
that help so much. Because when you learn something in
a rule book, then you can go and learn on
there and put it into practice. So whichever way you
are capable of learning, whichever learning style, we've got you're
catered for more. So don't let that put you off.
Lucy Wright (10:07):
And your male colleagues were obviously really happy to help you
and find a way that worked for you. Did you
find that they were completely welcoming and you felt part
of the team?
Sarah Swanston (10:16):
Oh God, yeah. I think I was spoiled if I'm
honest. Yeah, yeah. Especially when I first... Because there used to
be a top table in the mess room, you did
not sit on as a junior person and it's like
all these older gentlemen, but I have to say the
ones I met... Well, one of them, he used to
buy me tea and donuts at Peterborough, if I used
(10:36):
to go route learning with him.
Lucy Wright (10:37):
Brilliant.
Sarah Swanston (10:39):
Others were only too glad to... Like when I used
to go route learning, I used to sit and they used
to describe all the route to me and say, " This signal
is something around this one and you need to get,
you might not see it, so be prepared for it."
And then just all the different knacks of the route that
you just think I'm never going to learn all this,
but you do. Yeah. I have to say they were,
they were really helpful, actually.
Lucy Wright (11:00):
If anybody listening is interested in a career, then, please
do get in touch. We are actually looking to increase
the number of women who work for us. So we
currently have just under 25% of the whole workforce are
female and out of all of our drivers, about 6% are
female. And we really want that to be 50% really.
You mentioned your dad, are you from a railway family?
Sarah Swanston (11:21):
Mum and Dad are a no. But, funny thing is,
when you used to be asked at an interview it was, "
Do you have family members who are on the railway?" And
I said, " Oh yes I do. I have a great-
grandfather." So my great- grandfather was a train driver but
at Rugby. Yeah. And if you speak to my gran,
when she was alive, bless her, I told her I was
about to do, she said to me, " Don't drink, don't smoke,
(11:44):
don't gamble. And please don't swear." So I promised her
I wouldn't. But yeah, bless him. He's the only one.
They were chuffed to think a female in the family
was going to follow their dad. So that was quite nice.
Lucy Wright (11:56):
Well, I'm sure you've done them all really, really proud. Thank you ever
so much.
Sarah Swanston (12:00):
No problem. It was good to talk to you.
Juliette Maxam (12:05):
Up next is our New Train slot. And today I'm
speaking to Andrew Goodrum. At the start of the New Trains program,
Andrew was Greater Anglia's Business Readiness Director. He was responsible
for the huge amount of tasks the company had to
do in order to be ready for 191 new trains.
Hello Andrew. Thanks for joining us.
Andrew Goodrum (12:23):
Hi Juliette. I hope you're okay.
Juliette Maxam (12:25):
So you were responsible for making sure the new trains could
run on our network. So what did that mean for
say the stations?
Andrew Goodrum (12:32):
Well Juliette, the stations, there was quite a lot of
work for us to do actually to get ready for the new
trains to enter into passenger service. So one of the first things
we had to do was to check the lighting of
the stations was up to the required standard to ensure
that there was clear vision for the drivers who would
be dispatching the trains using the cameras that were going
(12:52):
to be built into the side of these new trains.
So it's really clear that they got clear image into
their cabs so they could have a good uninterrupted view
of all the doors at the side of the trains
to ensure that passengers were safely on and off the
trains. And to be honest, some of the lighting out on
our more rural stations did need to be upgraded quite considerably.
(13:14):
So that was a big work stream to get that
lighting improved before the first trains came into passenger service.
Now, one of the great things about the new trains is
that they were longer with more seats on board, which
is good for our customers and lovely for our colleagues
to work on, but for the infrastructure or the stations and
the platforms themselves, it meant that the trains would be
(13:35):
stopping in different positions on the platforms. So we had
to make sure that the stop car markers as they're
called, the little signs that tell the driver where to
stop, were in the right place. So the train could
fit properly into the platform. But also of course, that the
driver had clear view of any signals ahead of the train.
Juliette Maxam (13:54):
It's quite remarkable. You think it's a simple thing, you
get a new train, it just replaces an old train
that's that, but the fact that every train is different,
that the wheelchair area is in a different place. The bicycle
area is in different place. Needing new lights for the
cameras to work. Just quite incredible. One thing I would
(14:14):
say about the wheelchair spaces, of course, is that on 58
of our new trains, we've got level access boarding haven't
we, but the other ones it's not level access, but
presumably you've had to get new ramps for those as well.
Andrew Goodrum (14:26):
The company that manufacture these ramps for us is based
on the Greater Anglia network in Thetford in Norfolk. And they
work with us to design and install the new ramps
along all of our lines at the locations where the
ramps were going to be needed to enable customers with
wheelchairs to get on and off the trains easily. If there wasn't
the level access that we'd work so hard to create.
Juliette Maxam (14:49):
Brilliant. What about staff? I mean, obviously we had to
train the drivers, but what other staff needed to be
trained to get ready for new trains?
Andrew Goodrum (14:57):
Well, the conductors all went through familiarization with the new
trains. Clearly it's a lot of different door controls. The procedures for
dispatch was very different. The procedures for helping wheelchair users
to get on and off the train were very different. There
were lots of features on the trains that we hadn't seen
(15:17):
before, such as the CCTV, such as the passenger information systems, the
different power sockets, different places for luggage. So they required
a real broad familiarization into the construction and the workings
of the train to ensure our customers could enjoy traveling
on them safely. Train presentation colleagues, they need to know
(15:40):
all the nooks and crannies of the train, where to clean
them, how to clean, the sort of equipment, the sort
of chemicals that were authorized for use on the trains.
So they went through a specialized period of training. All
areas of the business went through their own specialized training program.
Juliette Maxam (15:56):
Has it all been worthwhile? Has there been any (crosstalk) good highlights?
Andrew Goodrum (16:01):
(crosstalk) Definitely. Oh yes. I mean, a couple of
highlights for me, I suppose, was the first morning going with
the first four carriage train down to Lowestoft to pick
up passengers. Really lovely morning, sunny going across the swing
bridge at Reedham. I remember it really, really well. Just
wondering what the reaction would be of the customers we
were about to pick up. I remember then on the
(16:22):
way back to Norwich people were just bowled over by
the space onboard, the comfort, the wifi, being able to
plug in their mobile phones. And that was similar on
all the routes we went to. Be it students, I
remember going to Paston college on the Bittern line. I
remember commuters on the Norwich to Cambridge route. Sometimes very
(16:43):
early in the morning, we launched these trains at half five
or six o'clock, but the reaction was all the same.
It was one of, " Wow, is this what they're all
going to be like?" Or, " Is this first class?" " Er
No, this is the standard of train you've now got
to enjoy on this route". I suppose the one standout
highlight for me was the end of what was a
long first day with the new trains in service. And
(17:05):
that was meeting a family who traveled from Nottingham and
they were on their way to a holiday in Great
Yarmouth. And dad was a wheelchair user and there was
mum and two children. And the fact that he could
board the train himself, just wheel himself onto the train,
that the accessible area meant that they could all sit
together because there were seats and tables there for them
(17:26):
to sit at. And mum just turned around and said, "
I can't believe this". She said, " This has really changed
our whole travel experience, this is lovely that we can
all travel together as a family." So, yeah, that was the
lasting memory if you like from the first day in service.
Juliette Maxam (17:41):
Thank you very much, Andrew. That's an absolutely fascinating insight
into what you did to bring in the new trains.
And thank you very much for everything that you've done.
Andrew Goodrum (17:50):
No, you're welcome.
Lucy Wright (17:53):
So it's time now for Fares Guru, where I talk
to Ken Strong, Greater Anglia's resident ticketing expert. Hi, Ken.
Welcome back.
Ken Strong (18:00):
Thank you for having me back.
Lucy Wright (18:01):
And today we're speaking about the different ways to buy
tickets. So Ken, can you talk us through some of
the various options please?
Ken Strong (18:08):
Well, of course, at most of our large and medium
size stations, we do have ticket offices where you can buy
tickets in the traditional way. Almost every station has a
ticket vending machine, which sells a full range of on
the day tickets to virtually everywhere in the country. But
nowadays more and more people are choosing to go online
to buy their tickets, which is a very convenient way
of buying tickets. And you can see the full range
of tickets on there. And we do have the Greater
(18:31):
Anglia website and also the Greater Anglia app.
Lucy Wright (18:35):
And how can people get the cheapest tickets when buying online?
Ken Strong (18:38):
If you're going online, make sure you specify exactly the
journey you want to make and if you're making a
return journey, put in both ways at the one time,
because sometimes the return ticket will be cheaper than two
singles. Which is a mistake some people make, they buy a
single and a single back, which might end up costing
them more money. Be flexible in the time that you
want to travel. And if you buy from us at
(19:00):
Greater Anglia, you won't be charged any booking fees or
credit card fees.
Lucy Wright (19:04):
So when buying online, is it best to book directly
with Greater Anglia? Because there are a lot of websites out
there where you can buy train tickets. So, which is cheapest?
Ken Strong (19:12):
It's always better to buy from Greater Anglia because there
are no additional fees. The price of the ticket is
the price you pay.
Lucy Wright (19:18):
So the cheapest place to buy tickets online is the
Greater Anglia website?
Ken Strong (19:22):
That's correct.
Lucy Wright (19:22):
And what's the advantage of buying E- tickets, smart card tickets,
over paper tickets?
Ken Strong (19:27):
Well, the transaction is contactless. There's no interaction. So it's
a very safe way of buying tickets. With E- tickets
they come in a PDF format, so you can either print
those out. If you prefer to have them on a
piece of paper, or you can have them on your
phone and just show the phone with the PDF to
the conductor, or whoever's examining the tickets and there'll be
(19:51):
a barcode on that ticket, that'll work the automatic ticket
gates. That's a safer way to carry tickets than the
traditional paper tickets, which you could easily lose.
Lucy Wright (20:00):
Thank you so much again, Ken, for your advice. And
I'll see you back in the next episode.
Ken Strong (20:04):
Thanks very much.
Lucy Wright (20:08):
Today on Mythbusters, we're going to talk about our new
trains and how to find a seat on a new
train. A lot of people are returning to the railway.
So we just want to put the record straight on
a few things. So Juliette, the older trains had four,
eight or 12 carriages, and now they have five or
10. So some people might think that that's a reduction in
service rather than an improvement. So what's really going on.
Juliette Maxam (20:31):
Yes. Our new trains have much longer carriages with more
seats. So a five carriage train is much longer than
a four carriage train. And of course there's other great
features of those trains. They're longer. They've got more seats. They've
got all the mods that people would expect, including air
(20:51):
conditioning. And the air conditioning sucks new air, fresh air,
into the carriage, every six to nine minutes, which means
it's a lot safer. The ventilation is much better. And
of course the doors open at stations as well, allowing
more fresh air into the carriages.
Lucy Wright (21:10):
Are there actually more seats on the new trains though?
And how can people find a seat when the trains
look busy? Is there a way that people can get
on and find out where a seat is available?
Juliette Maxam (21:20):
Yes, there is. The new trains are longer and generally
have more seats than the old trains that they replace.
Certainly a new 10 carriage train has more seats than
an old 12 carriage train. And there's this really handy
new bit of technology in every single carriage. There's this
(21:40):
wonderful passenger information screen. You look up and you see
it's got all sorts of symbols on it and it
tells you where you're going and what time you're going
to arrive. But the thing that's really handy is it
tells you whether there are seats available in other carriages, and
it's got this color coding system. So if it's all
green, that means there's loads of seats everywhere. If it
(22:03):
goes orange, the carriage is full. But then there's something
in between. If there's one bit of green, there's not
that many seats, but there are still seats. If there's
two blocks of green, then there's quite a lot of
seats, but there are some taken. If it's all green,
loads of seats. And the other thing that I would
(22:25):
say is don't always get on the train in exactly
the same place as everybody else. If you get on
where everybody else gets on, and that's usually the coach
nearest the entrance to the station where you get on
or nearest the entrance to the station, where you get
off, then more seats are going to be taken. So
walk further down the platform to get on the train.
(22:46):
And if it is busy, please be considerate to other
passengers, take your bag off a seat. Definitely don't have
your feet on the seat because your feet should never
be on the seat, especially on our lovely brand new
trains and let people sit in those seats.
Lucy Wright (23:01):
Okay. So spread out. That's good advice. I think what
I've found while I've been traveling as well, is that
the middle seat is often free. When you have three
seats together, people don't want to sit in the middle
one, which is quite odd considering that when we are on
the underground, we all sit next to each other. And
I understand that some people might not be feeling safe
or might not be used to sitting next to strangers.
So what measures are we taking to make sure that
(23:23):
people are kept safe? And so that they're fine to
sit in the middle seat.
Juliette Maxam (23:27):
We are still keeping on with cleaning and sanitizing our
trains. We are still using the fogging guns. And those
are the bit of cleaning kit that spray a fine
mist of disinfectant all over the place. And after a
trainer has arrived at a destination and before it goes
off on its new journey, our cleaners go in and
(23:47):
they will use disinfectant to wipe down all surfaces. We've
got our vacuum cleaners that clean the air as well
as the seats and the floor. And we are asking
customers, please follow public health advice and wear a face
covering because it keeps us all safe. And a lot
of our customers are continuing to do that. And thank
(24:08):
you very much to all customers who are still wearing
face coverings.
Lucy Wright (24:12):
Another myth I would like to bust is the size
of the new seats. I know some people think the
seats on the new trains are more narrow than the
old ones, but that's not the case is it.
Juliette Maxam (24:21):
They look narrow because they've got higher headrests and backs
than on the old trains. And so when you look
at this sea of seats, because obviously there's no doors
between carriages, the perception is that it's narrower, but actually
I've been on both an old train and a new train
(24:42):
and checked it. And there's really no difference. It is
just a perception. And it's because we've tried to make
the seats more comfortable so you can rest your head.
And so that it's got the lumbar support and the perception
is that the seats are narrower than on the old seats.
Lucy Wright (24:58):
Brilliant. So spread out down the train, spread out down
the platform and look for those green signs on the
information screens. Juliette, thank you so much.
Juliette Maxam (25:07):
Thanks very much.
Lucy Wright (25:11):
Up next is Travel Surgery and Juliette and I are sitting
down with David Whiteley to pick his dream Greater Anglia
travel destination.
Juliette Maxam (25:18):
David's a TV presenter. He co- presents ITV News Anglia
with Becky Jago and is a brilliant ambassador for the region. Hi
David. Thanks for joining us.
David Whiteley (25:27):
Thank you. Thank you both for having me on the podcast.
Juliette Maxam (25:30):
Brilliant. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do,
what your job is, in case people don't know?
David Whiteley (25:34):
Okay. Well, my job as of last June, June, 2021
is I co- present ITV News Anglia with Becky Jago
every evening, 6
present the news with Becky, we have a fantastic reporting
team across the entire East of England. What some people
don't know, it's a slightly guarded secret, but I can
tell you, is that we do two programs. So one
(25:55):
is recorded, one is live, because the region is so
big and it all happens from the studios in Norwich.
But of course we cover right out to Milton Keynes,
down to Southend to Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, of course Norfolk, Suffolk
and Essex. And it's just a huge area, so diverse
with so many stories and so many wonderful people. And you mentioned
(26:16):
there Juliette about me being an ambassador for the region.
I was born in East Anglia. I was born in
Essex and have lived here and worked here all my
life. I very much lived work and play in East
Anglia. So it's great to kind of champion the place
and the people where you live.
Juliette Maxam (26:35):
And I guess in your role, you must have met a huge number
of people from this region?
David Whiteley (26:38):
Yeah. I've probably conducted literally thousands of interviews over
a 27 year career. And it's only when you think of that, you think,
wow, I've met some amazing people and people who make
you feel very humble, who you're in awe of, people
you've kind of had to give a bit of a
hard time. Some people you've had to put on the
spot. It's normally okay afterwards. But yeah, it's amazing how
(27:02):
many people I've met and interviewed.
Juliette Maxam (27:03):
I guess that curiosity means that you get the most out
of people and you are constantly finding something new.
David Whiteley (27:10):
Absolutely. Well, you'll know all too well. It's a journey of discovery isn't it? I mean, it
sounds a bit naff, but it is true. You start
with something. I mean I remember a former colleague of mine, Stewart
White, the legendary Stewart White from Look East said to
me many, many, many, many years ago. He said, " You
have to have one good question and then listen." So
I think that's something very special.
Juliette Maxam (27:29):
That's interesting. Now you mentioned Look East, of course your
wife is Amelia Reynolds who presents Look East. So is
there massive rivalry? What is your family? Are you a Look East family or are
you an ITV Anglia family?
David Whiteley (27:44):
It's funny. That's an interesting one. We both watch both.
Obviously I was at the BBC for many, many years.
I was there for nearly 23 years and Amelia and I presented the news together at
times and now I'll be on there with Becky, 6
till 6
walk into the newsroom for our kind of debrief and
chat to all the team and then on the screen
(28:04):
is Amelia doing Look East on the other side. I
don't know, we kind of compare notes. We don't tell
each other what's going on though. We don't say... I
think post an event, we will. We certainly keep it
professional. You know, if I hear her talking to a
colleague about something, I sometimes get the satisfaction of, "We did that
last week." There are times when it could be the
(28:25):
other way around. But, yeah, it's a friendly rivalry and Amelia's
really proud that I got the job.
Lucy Wright (28:33):
So if you had just 24 hours, just one day, to spend
anywhere in the region, what would you do? What would be your sort
of dream day?
David Whiteley (28:39):
I'd get up really early. If it was in the summer, it's
not uncommon me to get up at 2
the morning when it's in the middle of June and
first light can be 3
at the beach for 3
surf on the morning tide with my friends and see the
(28:59):
sunrise and then probably have a breakfast. I'd probably have breakfast
at North Sea Coffee because my friends there, they're surfers as
well. They've built that business right on the front. I'd
probably have coffee and breakfast there and then we'd probably
surf again. So we'd probably go for another surf again after
that and then might invite the children along as well
in the afternoon because my kids love the seat and
(29:22):
Amelia, we all love the beach and then we probably take
the dog for a walk. We also really love Salthouse.
I mean we'd probably go to Salthouse in the afternoon
after that. Salthouse is great and then have a meal
in the Dun Cow, which is one of our favorite
places to have something to eat. But yeah, we love
that beach. I'm probably spoiling it now. Everyone's going to know
about Salthouse beach, but it's a really great beach and
the dog loves it. He whimpers with excitement when he
(29:45):
knows he is there. He's just very, very excited and
we all just run and yeah it's a special place.
So yeah, so that would, and then probably watch the sunset and have a
beer. Yeah. That would do that would do I reckon.
Juliette Maxam (29:57):
That'd be an incredibly long day. And then I
think collapse into bed after all of that.
David Whiteley (30:01):
Yeah. One beer and then be fast asleep, Juliette. One beer.
Juliette Maxam (30:03):
I think apart from the very early morning, it sounds fabulous.
Lucy Wright (30:07):
David, you do like traveling by train don't you? You've traveled quite a lot
around our local network.
David Whiteley (30:11):
When I used to spend a lot of time on the road, it was always a relief to get
the train and know that you could go to London from Norwich
on the Greater Anglia line and kind of think, " ah,
do you know what I haven't got to worry about driving to London
or driving somewhere." One particular part I really love is
when the train gets to Manningtree and you kind of
see the estuary open up and it's just very special. And
if the sun's catching the sea in the estuary there,
(30:33):
the tides in, it's a very beautiful spot. And I
think you, if you do spend a lot of time looking out the windows, instead of
scrolling through your phone, as a lot of us are
guilty of at times, you can really see such amazing
parts of the region from the train.
Juliette Maxam (30:48):
Well, I think we've got a perfect trip for you.
You love the coast. You like traveling by train. What
I would recommend to you is next time you are
looking for a day out, maybe with the family, is
get on the train at Norwich and go to Lowestoft.
It's a really lovely, really beautiful line. You like water,
(31:08):
you go past loads of water. There's the River Waveney, which at
some point seems even higher than the train track. And
so it's really weird that you are in a train
and you look out of the window and there's a boat at
a higher level than you. And you go past Oulton Broad.
And then when you get to Lowestoft, you come in
next to the Harbor. So you are traveling next to
all these boats. It's really scenic line. But, it's not
(31:31):
just the water. It's also the stations. There's some beautiful stations
along the way with amazing gardens. At Cantley, they've got a
boat and they're creating a sail made out of flowers
which looks really pretty. Somerleyton has an incredible garden. And
in fact, they've done this planting to attract scarce butterflies.
(31:51):
And then of course, when you get to Lowestoft, well, wonderful
sandy beach and the most easterly station, the most easterly
point in the whole of the UK. So fish and
chips, maybe a little beer, just a perfect little trip.
David Whiteley (32:05):
You're selling it to me, Juliette. You are. I mean, I don't
think I've ever... I know Amelia's done that line many,
many years ago when the children were little, but I've
never been on that one. And I didn't realize it
went through the Waveney, of course it does. Yeah. And you've
got such... Somerleyton's beautiful and I know that easterly point
very well. I filmed many an occasion on that most
easterly point of the UK. And I think Lowestoft's underrated.
(32:28):
I think it's a very special place. The beaches are vast.
Juliette Maxam (32:31):
It's definitely a route for looking out of the window. The
lovely big picture windows on the new trains.
David Whiteley (32:36):
Yeah, fantastic.
Juliette Maxam (32:38):
Well, thanks very much for joining us.
David Whiteley (32:40):
Well, it's been my pleasure. Thank you.
Juliette Maxam (32:41):
And be sure to take up our recommendation. I don't
think you'll be disappointed.
David Whiteley (32:46):
Absolutely. Well, thank you both very much for having me on the podcast.
Lucy Wright (32:50):
We've reached the end of this episode. We hope you've
enjoyed learning more about Greater Anglia.
Juliette Maxam (32:55):
Please do leave us a rating or review on your
podcast platform and tweet us at Greater Anglia PR.
Lucy Wright (33:01):
Life on Rails releases every six weeks. So be sure
to check back soon for episode five.
Juliette Maxam (33:06):
And in the meantime, follow or subscribe to the podcast
for free so you never miss an episode and visit
our website at www. greateranglia. co. uk/ podcast for more information.
Lucy Wright (33:19):
Thanks for joining us. Bye.
Hi, I'm Lucy Wright.
Juliette Maxam (00:04):
I'm Juliette Maxam, and this is Life on Rails.
Lucy Wright (00:07):
We both work in PR at Greater Anglia, and we
are taking you behind the scenes of one of the
largest train companies in the UK.
Juliette Maxam (00:14):
We're talking to a range of people from site managers
to engineering experts, as well as some special Greater Anglia celebrities.
Lucy Wright (00:22):
In this spring episode, we speak to the co- presenter
of ITV News Anglia, David Whiteley.
David Whiteley (00:27):
I remember a former colleague of mine said to me
many, many, many, many years ago. He said, " You have
to have one good question and then listen." So I
think that's something very special.
Lucy Wright (00:35):
Our resident fares guru, Ken Strong.
Ken Strong (00:37):
Make sure you specify exactly the journey you want to make and
if you're making a return journey put in both ways
at the one time because sometimes the return ticket will
be cheaper than two singles, which is a mistake some people
make, they buy a single and a single back, which
might end up costing them more money.
Lucy Wright (00:49):
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia's Client and Program Director.
Andrew Goodrum (00:52):
And Mum just turned around and said, " I can't believe this." She said, "This has really
changed our whole travel experience. This is lovely that we
can all travel together as a family."
Lucy Wright (01:01):
And one of our first female drivers, Sarah Swanston.
Sarah Swanston (01:04):
If you speak to my gran, I told her what I
was about to do. She said to me, " Don't drink,
don't smoke, don't gamble and please don't swear." I promised her I wouldn't.
Lucy Wright (01:12):
Juliette and I will also be giving you tips and tricks
on how to find a seat on a busy train.
Juliette Maxam (01:17):
To kick things off though, we are going to speak to the Greater
Anglia Site Manager, Phil Hogg. Hi Phil. Thanks for joining
us on the Greener Anglia segment of the podcast. And
we're speaking today in a staff garden by Norwich station.
Just behind you, there's a honey bee hotel which I
believe you built. Can you tell us a little bit about
(01:39):
it please?
Phil Hogg (01:40):
Yeah. I did this bit of a little scheme, which
we're trying to spread throughout the network in Norfolk. The
honey bee is close to extinct, so we're trying to
promote it where we build these. This one's made out of
a normal pallet with a bit more trimming of wood.
As you can see, it's been here over a year
now and they're actually starting to use it. So it's serving its purpose.
Juliette Maxam (02:00):
So it looks like a giant rabbit hutch almost with a little
bit of chicken wire. And then it's got a lovely
roof and lots of logs with holes in it. And
some of the holes are even blocked in a little
bit. Why is that?
Phil Hogg (02:13):
That is actually the honey bee at the end of the season, will
actually put their eggs in there and the pollen, they hibernate
and then break out the next day and their babies will
actually come out as well.
Juliette Maxam (02:24):
So we're actually going to have some baby bees in
this garden then.
Phil Hogg (02:26):
Yeah.
Juliette Maxam (02:26):
Oh, wow.
Phil Hogg (02:26):
And then they'll start pollinating the garden again, and then it just
goes on and on over the season.
Juliette Maxam (02:32):
So why did you build this honey bee hotel? Are
you interested in bees? Do you keep bees?
Phil Hogg (02:38):
Yeah. Well, I think everyone who's interested in the environment,
they go for one subject. Obviously I looked at this
from another company before I started with Greater Anglia and
I did a project there and it worked and it
just got larger and larger. So I thought, well, I
did it there. I want to do it here.
Juliette Maxam (02:55):
So you're like single handedly saving the bees in Norfolk.
Phil Hogg (02:59):
Well, no, the word is starting to spread. More staff
are doing it. They're doing it in the gardens where
you can make a little honey bee, farm or hotel.
We have got other schemes this year where we're going
to promote in our on our rural stations.
Juliette Maxam (03:14):
What is your job? How come you got to do this?
Phil Hogg (03:17):
I'm a Site Manager for Greater Anglia. So I look after
any projects or schemes in the Norfolk region. So I
come along with quite a lot of scrap wood. I
thought, instead of throw it in the skip, why not
make some use of it? And that's why I've done this.
Juliette Maxam (03:31):
And you say, you've got some more schemes in the
pipeline. Is that also using bits and pieces from projects
at depos and stations?
Phil Hogg (03:39):
Yeah. It's a cage effect. We're calling it the green
wall, but we've done a little thing to it where
it's not just going to be foliage and plants. It's actually
going to have logs in for the honey bees as well.
Juliette Maxam (03:51):
Explain that a little bit more. So are you building a green wall and
where's it going to be?
Phil Hogg (03:56):
It'll be built on site (inaudible) stations. I think
one of the stations we're looking at is Reedham, which
is out towards Lowestoft. So we're going to start there
and see how it works, which I think it'll go fantastic, and
then we're going to spread it along that line and
let's see.
Juliette Maxam (04:13):
And so what is a green wall though?
Phil Hogg (04:15):
Green wall, it's just a timber, or it could be
steel, frame. You put soil in, plants and foliage in
and that'll bloom and it just looks a lovely effect.
And it's all from waste materials.
Juliette Maxam (04:27):
Sounds absolutely magnificent and of course supports the work that
our adopters do in the gardens across the network where
they're improving the biodiversity of our communities and our stations
with their gardens, they've got honey bee hotels and bird
boxes and so on. I hear you were doing something
with compost bins as well.
Phil Hogg (04:48):
Yeah. So we involve the community. We involve local authorities.
So the one I've got at the moment is we have
a lot of scrap timber material at the Crown Point.
So I'm going to use that with the local authority's adult learning
center, donate to them and some bricks, because they do
joinery brickwork and plastering and painting decorating. Then them guys
(05:13):
or girls who are getting taught will come on site.
So it'll give them the experience of a site out
from the center and they're going to build us a
compost bin in Norwich station.
Juliette Maxam (05:24):
Oh brilliant. Well, I really look forward to seeing the green
wall and in fact green walls across the network and
I'm sure our customers will enjoy seeing those too. And
it's just fantastic what you're doing to promote biodiversity in
the area. So thanks very much for telling us all
about it and thanks for everything you're doing Phil.
Phil Hogg (05:42):
Yeah. Thank you very much. Let's look at the future
and let's see what comes out with these green walls.
Juliette Maxam (05:46):
Absolutely.
Lucy Wright (05:50):
It's now time for Meet A Member of Staff and
our guest with this episode is Sarah Swanston. Sarah qualified
as a train driver over 25 years ago and she
was the first ever female train driver in Norwich. She's
still a qualified driver and you never know she might
be driving your train right now, but these days Sarah
is the Right Time Railway Manager focused on improving and
maintaining punctuality. Hi Sarah, thank you so much for joining us.
Sarah Swanston (06:12):
Hiya.
Lucy Wright (06:14):
Can you please describe your current role?
Sarah Swanston (06:16):
So as you say, I'm the Right Time Railway Manager, it's a mouthful,
but it is about performance within the route. So I
work quite locally with customer service teams, train service delivery
team, other ops teams and stuff. And we look at
issues within the route that we can do to then
improve the punctuality of the train services for the customers.
Lucy Wright (06:35):
And just talk me through your journey. How did you
come to be Norwich's first female train driver?
Sarah Swanston (06:40):
I had a vision when I was a youngster. I
was going to basically go in the police force. My
dad well and truly put me off that idea. And
he was the one who suggested I put in to
become a train driver, which I just laughed, because you
never saw female train drivers. So for work experience when I was at
school, I applied to go and do two weeks with
(07:00):
the railway to see what it was like. And I loved
it so much. I put my application form there and
then in, and I still had about 18 months left
to go at school. Once obviously left school, I went
for a job interview. I got asked to come for
a job interview. There's a little bit of a test and an
interview. Luckily I got the job interview when I became
on their railway training scheme, which used to be the
(07:21):
old youth training scheme. Obviously you can't do shift work
till you're 18. So they give you what they call
a Junior Railway Woman's position. And mine was on the
station servicing team going around all the local stations and
making sure they're maintained and gardens are kept tidy and
the stations were all cleaned. Then I got to be
18 and I got my very first proper job on
(07:41):
the railway, which was as a Carriage Cleaner at Norwich station. And I worked
with some really, really, really nice people. Hard work, I have to say
it's one of the hardest I think for what you
have to deal with sometimes. And then at 17 and a
half, I could then apply for the assessment to be become
a train driver. And that's an all day assessment, aptitude tests and color
(08:03):
light tests and how your reaction and stuff. Luckily, I
managed to pass that. I then got the position of
what they termed then was a Trainman Driver they called it, but
to make it a bit more PC, they put the
Train and then bracket W- O bracket man. So became
a Train( wo) man Driver. Eventually I got on a
driver's course, I think in 1996. And then I got
(08:26):
my first driver's job in October 1997. And that's where
I thought I'd stay, if I'm honest, I just thought, wait, that's
it, I'm going to stay as a train driver, quite
happy doing this. Then I became a Driver Instructor and
I quite liked doing that. And then I got to
sign all the routes up to London and then it
was like, " Oh, what next? What do I do next?"
(08:48):
And then a Driver Manager job came up and I put
in for that. And then off I went into the
management role. So that's sort of my short history. If
you like, of where, where it's all been.
Lucy Wright (09:00):
You're totally making the point here that the railway's a
really good place if you want to progress. So what
would you say to any women listening, particularly, who are
thinking about becoming a train driver?
Sarah Swanston (09:10):
So I think it's one of them jobs you may
not think of straight away, but if you are a
person that likes to work on their own. If you are
good at decision making, remaining calm sometimes in quite stressful
situations. And I just think if you like something different
every day and you want something outside of the normal,
(09:31):
then I think it's a really good job. And don't be put off
thinking you've got to be technically minded necessarily. My traction
course, if I'm going to be honest, I struggled, I'm not a person
that is very mechanically minded at all, if I'm honest.
My dad would tell you that when my car run out
of oil. There is people there that will help you
there. The training course now we've got simulators straight away
(09:54):
that help so much. Because when you learn something in
a rule book, then you can go and learn on
there and put it into practice. So whichever way you
are capable of learning, whichever learning style, we've got you're
catered for more. So don't let that put you off.
Lucy Wright (10:07):
And your male colleagues were obviously really happy to help you
and find a way that worked for you. Did you
find that they were completely welcoming and you felt part
of the team?
Sarah Swanston (10:16):
Oh God, yeah. I think I was spoiled if I'm
honest. Yeah, yeah. Especially when I first... Because there used to
be a top table in the mess room, you did
not sit on as a junior person and it's like
all these older gentlemen, but I have to say the
ones I met... Well, one of them, he used to
buy me tea and donuts at Peterborough, if I used
(10:36):
to go route learning with him.
Lucy Wright (10:37):
Brilliant.
Sarah Swanston (10:39):
Others were only too glad to... Like when I used
to go route learning, I used to sit and they used
to describe all the route to me and say, " This signal
is something around this one and you need to get,
you might not see it, so be prepared for it."
And then just all the different knacks of the route that
you just think I'm never going to learn all this,
but you do. Yeah. I have to say they were,
they were really helpful, actually.
Lucy Wright (11:00):
If anybody listening is interested in a career, then, please
do get in touch. We are actually looking to increase
the number of women who work for us. So we
currently have just under 25% of the whole workforce are
female and out of all of our drivers, about 6% are
female. And we really want that to be 50% really.
You mentioned your dad, are you from a railway family?
Sarah Swanston (11:21):
Mum and Dad are a no. But, funny thing is,
when you used to be asked at an interview it was, "
Do you have family members who are on the railway?" And
I said, " Oh yes I do. I have a great-
grandfather." So my great- grandfather was a train driver but
at Rugby. Yeah. And if you speak to my gran,
when she was alive, bless her, I told her I was
about to do, she said to me, " Don't drink, don't smoke,
(11:44):
don't gamble. And please don't swear." So I promised her
I wouldn't. But yeah, bless him. He's the only one.
They were chuffed to think a female in the family
was going to follow their dad. So that was quite nice.
Lucy Wright (11:56):
Well, I'm sure you've done them all really, really proud. Thank you ever
so much.
Sarah Swanston (12:00):
No problem. It was good to talk to you.
Juliette Maxam (12:05):
Up next is our New Train slot. And today I'm
speaking to Andrew Goodrum. At the start of the New Trains program,
Andrew was Greater Anglia's Business Readiness Director. He was responsible
for the huge amount of tasks the company had to
do in order to be ready for 191 new trains.
Hello Andrew. Thanks for joining us.
Andrew Goodrum (12:23):
Hi Juliette. I hope you're okay.
Juliette Maxam (12:25):
So you were responsible for making sure the new trains could
run on our network. So what did that mean for
say the stations?
Andrew Goodrum (12:32):
Well Juliette, the stations, there was quite a lot of
work for us to do actually to get ready for the new
trains to enter into passenger service. So one of the first things
we had to do was to check the lighting of
the stations was up to the required standard to ensure
that there was clear vision for the drivers who would
be dispatching the trains using the cameras that were going
(12:52):
to be built into the side of these new trains.
So it's really clear that they got clear image into
their cabs so they could have a good uninterrupted view
of all the doors at the side of the trains
to ensure that passengers were safely on and off the
trains. And to be honest, some of the lighting out on
our more rural stations did need to be upgraded quite considerably.
(13:14):
So that was a big work stream to get that
lighting improved before the first trains came into passenger service.
Now, one of the great things about the new trains is
that they were longer with more seats on board, which
is good for our customers and lovely for our colleagues
to work on, but for the infrastructure or the stations and
the platforms themselves, it meant that the trains would be
(13:35):
stopping in different positions on the platforms. So we had
to make sure that the stop car markers as they're
called, the little signs that tell the driver where to
stop, were in the right place. So the train could
fit properly into the platform. But also of course, that the
driver had clear view of any signals ahead of the train.
Juliette Maxam (13:54):
It's quite remarkable. You think it's a simple thing, you
get a new train, it just replaces an old train
that's that, but the fact that every train is different,
that the wheelchair area is in a different place. The bicycle
area is in different place. Needing new lights for the
cameras to work. Just quite incredible. One thing I would
(14:14):
say about the wheelchair spaces, of course, is that on 58
of our new trains, we've got level access boarding haven't
we, but the other ones it's not level access, but
presumably you've had to get new ramps for those as well.
Andrew Goodrum (14:26):
The company that manufacture these ramps for us is based
on the Greater Anglia network in Thetford in Norfolk. And they
work with us to design and install the new ramps
along all of our lines at the locations where the
ramps were going to be needed to enable customers with
wheelchairs to get on and off the trains easily. If there wasn't
the level access that we'd work so hard to create.
Juliette Maxam (14:49):
Brilliant. What about staff? I mean, obviously we had to
train the drivers, but what other staff needed to be
trained to get ready for new trains?
Andrew Goodrum (14:57):
Well, the conductors all went through familiarization with the new
trains. Clearly it's a lot of different door controls. The procedures for
dispatch was very different. The procedures for helping wheelchair users
to get on and off the train were very different. There
were lots of features on the trains that we hadn't seen
(15:17):
before, such as the CCTV, such as the passenger information systems, the
different power sockets, different places for luggage. So they required
a real broad familiarization into the construction and the workings
of the train to ensure our customers could enjoy traveling
on them safely. Train presentation colleagues, they need to know
(15:40):
all the nooks and crannies of the train, where to clean
them, how to clean, the sort of equipment, the sort
of chemicals that were authorized for use on the trains.
So they went through a specialized period of training. All
areas of the business went through their own specialized training program.
Juliette Maxam (15:56):
Has it all been worthwhile? Has there been any (crosstalk) good highlights?
Andrew Goodrum (16:01):
(crosstalk) Definitely. Oh yes. I mean, a couple of
highlights for me, I suppose, was the first morning going with
the first four carriage train down to Lowestoft to pick
up passengers. Really lovely morning, sunny going across the swing
bridge at Reedham. I remember it really, really well. Just
wondering what the reaction would be of the customers we
were about to pick up. I remember then on the
(16:22):
way back to Norwich people were just bowled over by
the space onboard, the comfort, the wifi, being able to
plug in their mobile phones. And that was similar on
all the routes we went to. Be it students, I
remember going to Paston college on the Bittern line. I
remember commuters on the Norwich to Cambridge route. Sometimes very
(16:43):
early in the morning, we launched these trains at half five
or six o'clock, but the reaction was all the same.
It was one of, " Wow, is this what they're all
going to be like?" Or, " Is this first class?" " Er
No, this is the standard of train you've now got
to enjoy on this route". I suppose the one standout
highlight for me was the end of what was a
long first day with the new trains in service. And
(17:05):
that was meeting a family who traveled from Nottingham and
they were on their way to a holiday in Great
Yarmouth. And dad was a wheelchair user and there was
mum and two children. And the fact that he could
board the train himself, just wheel himself onto the train,
that the accessible area meant that they could all sit
together because there were seats and tables there for them
(17:26):
to sit at. And mum just turned around and said, "
I can't believe this". She said, " This has really changed
our whole travel experience, this is lovely that we can
all travel together as a family." So, yeah, that was the
lasting memory if you like from the first day in service.
Juliette Maxam (17:41):
Thank you very much, Andrew. That's an absolutely fascinating insight
into what you did to bring in the new trains.
And thank you very much for everything that you've done.
Andrew Goodrum (17:50):
No, you're welcome.
Lucy Wright (17:53):
So it's time now for Fares Guru, where I talk
to Ken Strong, Greater Anglia's resident ticketing expert. Hi, Ken.
Welcome back.
Ken Strong (18:00):
Thank you for having me back.
Lucy Wright (18:01):
And today we're speaking about the different ways to buy
tickets. So Ken, can you talk us through some of
the various options please?
Ken Strong (18:08):
Well, of course, at most of our large and medium
size stations, we do have ticket offices where you can buy
tickets in the traditional way. Almost every station has a
ticket vending machine, which sells a full range of on
the day tickets to virtually everywhere in the country. But
nowadays more and more people are choosing to go online
to buy their tickets, which is a very convenient way
of buying tickets. And you can see the full range
of tickets on there. And we do have the Greater
(18:31):
Anglia website and also the Greater Anglia app.
Lucy Wright (18:35):
And how can people get the cheapest tickets when buying online?
Ken Strong (18:38):
If you're going online, make sure you specify exactly the
journey you want to make and if you're making a
return journey, put in both ways at the one time,
because sometimes the return ticket will be cheaper than two
singles. Which is a mistake some people make, they buy a
single and a single back, which might end up costing
them more money. Be flexible in the time that you
want to travel. And if you buy from us at
(19:00):
Greater Anglia, you won't be charged any booking fees or
credit card fees.
Lucy Wright (19:04):
So when buying online, is it best to book directly
with Greater Anglia? Because there are a lot of websites out
there where you can buy train tickets. So, which is cheapest?
Ken Strong (19:12):
It's always better to buy from Greater Anglia because there
are no additional fees. The price of the ticket is
the price you pay.
Lucy Wright (19:18):
So the cheapest place to buy tickets online is the
Greater Anglia website?
Ken Strong (19:22):
That's correct.
Lucy Wright (19:22):
And what's the advantage of buying E- tickets, smart card tickets,
over paper tickets?
Ken Strong (19:27):
Well, the transaction is contactless. There's no interaction. So it's
a very safe way of buying tickets. With E- tickets
they come in a PDF format, so you can either print
those out. If you prefer to have them on a
piece of paper, or you can have them on your
phone and just show the phone with the PDF to
the conductor, or whoever's examining the tickets and there'll be
(19:51):
a barcode on that ticket, that'll work the automatic ticket
gates. That's a safer way to carry tickets than the
traditional paper tickets, which you could easily lose.
Lucy Wright (20:00):
Thank you so much again, Ken, for your advice. And
I'll see you back in the next episode.
Ken Strong (20:04):
Thanks very much.
Lucy Wright (20:08):
Today on Mythbusters, we're going to talk about our new
trains and how to find a seat on a new
train. A lot of people are returning to the railway.
So we just want to put the record straight on
a few things. So Juliette, the older trains had four,
eight or 12 carriages, and now they have five or
10. So some people might think that that's a reduction in
service rather than an improvement. So what's really going on.
Juliette Maxam (20:31):
Yes. Our new trains have much longer carriages with more
seats. So a five carriage train is much longer than
a four carriage train. And of course there's other great
features of those trains. They're longer. They've got more seats. They've
got all the mods that people would expect, including air
(20:51):
conditioning. And the air conditioning sucks new air, fresh air,
into the carriage, every six to nine minutes, which means
it's a lot safer. The ventilation is much better. And
of course the doors open at stations as well, allowing
more fresh air into the carriages.
Lucy Wright (21:10):
Are there actually more seats on the new trains though?
And how can people find a seat when the trains
look busy? Is there a way that people can get
on and find out where a seat is available?
Juliette Maxam (21:20):
Yes, there is. The new trains are longer and generally
have more seats than the old trains that they replace.
Certainly a new 10 carriage train has more seats than
an old 12 carriage train. And there's this really handy
new bit of technology in every single carriage. There's this
(21:40):
wonderful passenger information screen. You look up and you see
it's got all sorts of symbols on it and it
tells you where you're going and what time you're going
to arrive. But the thing that's really handy is it
tells you whether there are seats available in other carriages, and
it's got this color coding system. So if it's all
green, that means there's loads of seats everywhere. If it
(22:03):
goes orange, the carriage is full. But then there's something
in between. If there's one bit of green, there's not
that many seats, but there are still seats. If there's
two blocks of green, then there's quite a lot of
seats, but there are some taken. If it's all green,
loads of seats. And the other thing that I would
(22:25):
say is don't always get on the train in exactly
the same place as everybody else. If you get on
where everybody else gets on, and that's usually the coach
nearest the entrance to the station where you get on
or nearest the entrance to the station, where you get
off, then more seats are going to be taken. So
walk further down the platform to get on the train.
(22:46):
And if it is busy, please be considerate to other
passengers, take your bag off a seat. Definitely don't have
your feet on the seat because your feet should never
be on the seat, especially on our lovely brand new
trains and let people sit in those seats.
Lucy Wright (23:01):
Okay. So spread out. That's good advice. I think what
I've found while I've been traveling as well, is that
the middle seat is often free. When you have three
seats together, people don't want to sit in the middle
one, which is quite odd considering that when we are on
the underground, we all sit next to each other. And
I understand that some people might not be feeling safe
or might not be used to sitting next to strangers.
So what measures are we taking to make sure that
(23:23):
people are kept safe? And so that they're fine to
sit in the middle seat.
Juliette Maxam (23:27):
We are still keeping on with cleaning and sanitizing our
trains. We are still using the fogging guns. And those
are the bit of cleaning kit that spray a fine
mist of disinfectant all over the place. And after a
trainer has arrived at a destination and before it goes
off on its new journey, our cleaners go in and
(23:47):
they will use disinfectant to wipe down all surfaces. We've
got our vacuum cleaners that clean the air as well
as the seats and the floor. And we are asking
customers, please follow public health advice and wear a face
covering because it keeps us all safe. And a lot
of our customers are continuing to do that. And thank
(24:08):
you very much to all customers who are still wearing
face coverings.
Lucy Wright (24:12):
Another myth I would like to bust is the size
of the new seats. I know some people think the
seats on the new trains are more narrow than the
old ones, but that's not the case is it.
Juliette Maxam (24:21):
They look narrow because they've got higher headrests and backs
than on the old trains. And so when you look
at this sea of seats, because obviously there's no doors
between carriages, the perception is that it's narrower, but actually
I've been on both an old train and a new train
(24:42):
and checked it. And there's really no difference. It is
just a perception. And it's because we've tried to make
the seats more comfortable so you can rest your head.
And so that it's got the lumbar support and the perception
is that the seats are narrower than on the old seats.
Lucy Wright (24:58):
Brilliant. So spread out down the train, spread out down
the platform and look for those green signs on the
information screens. Juliette, thank you so much.
Juliette Maxam (25:07):
Thanks very much.
Lucy Wright (25:11):
Up next is Travel Surgery and Juliette and I are sitting
down with David Whiteley to pick his dream Greater Anglia
travel destination.
Juliette Maxam (25:18):
David's a TV presenter. He co- presents ITV News Anglia
with Becky Jago and is a brilliant ambassador for the region. Hi
David. Thanks for joining us.
David Whiteley (25:27):
Thank you. Thank you both for having me on the podcast.
Juliette Maxam (25:30):
Brilliant. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do,
what your job is, in case people don't know?
David Whiteley (25:34):
Okay. Well, my job as of last June, June, 2021
is I co- present ITV News Anglia with Becky Jago
every evening, 6
present the news with Becky, we have a fantastic reporting
team across the entire East of England. What some people
don't know, it's a slightly guarded secret, but I can
tell you, is that we do two programs. So one
(25:55):
is recorded, one is live, because the region is so
big and it all happens from the studios in Norwich.
But of course we cover right out to Milton Keynes,
down to Southend to Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, of course Norfolk, Suffolk
and Essex. And it's just a huge area, so diverse
with so many stories and so many wonderful people. And you mentioned
(26:16):
there Juliette about me being an ambassador for the region.
I was born in East Anglia. I was born in
Essex and have lived here and worked here all my
life. I very much lived work and play in East
Anglia. So it's great to kind of champion the place
and the people where you live.
Juliette Maxam (26:35):
And I guess in your role, you must have met a huge number
of people from this region?
David Whiteley (26:38):
Yeah. I've probably conducted literally thousands of interviews over
a 27 year career. And it's only when you think of that, you think,
wow, I've met some amazing people and people who make
you feel very humble, who you're in awe of, people
you've kind of had to give a bit of a
hard time. Some people you've had to put on the
spot. It's normally okay afterwards. But yeah, it's amazing how
(27:02):
many people I've met and interviewed.
Juliette Maxam (27:03):
I guess that curiosity means that you get the most out
of people and you are constantly finding something new.
David Whiteley (27:10):
Absolutely. Well, you'll know all too well. It's a journey of discovery isn't it? I mean, it
sounds a bit naff, but it is true. You start
with something. I mean I remember a former colleague of mine, Stewart
White, the legendary Stewart White from Look East said to
me many, many, many, many years ago. He said, " You
have to have one good question and then listen." So
I think that's something very special.
Juliette Maxam (27:29):
That's interesting. Now you mentioned Look East, of course your
wife is Amelia Reynolds who presents Look East. So is
there massive rivalry? What is your family? Are you a Look East family or are
you an ITV Anglia family?
David Whiteley (27:44):
It's funny. That's an interesting one. We both watch both.
Obviously I was at the BBC for many, many years.
I was there for nearly 23 years and Amelia and I presented the news together at
times and now I'll be on there with Becky, 6
till 6
walk into the newsroom for our kind of debrief and
chat to all the team and then on the screen
(28:04):
is Amelia doing Look East on the other side. I
don't know, we kind of compare notes. We don't tell
each other what's going on though. We don't say... I
think post an event, we will. We certainly keep it
professional. You know, if I hear her talking to a
colleague about something, I sometimes get the satisfaction of, "We did that
last week." There are times when it could be the
(28:25):
other way around. But, yeah, it's a friendly rivalry and Amelia's
really proud that I got the job.
Lucy Wright (28:33):
So if you had just 24 hours, just one day, to spend
anywhere in the region, what would you do? What would be your sort
of dream day?
David Whiteley (28:39):
I'd get up really early. If it was in the summer, it's
not uncommon me to get up at 2
the morning when it's in the middle of June and
first light can be 3
at the beach for 3
surf on the morning tide with my friends and see the
(28:59):
sunrise and then probably have a breakfast. I'd probably have breakfast
at North Sea Coffee because my friends there, they're surfers as
well. They've built that business right on the front. I'd
probably have coffee and breakfast there and then we'd probably
surf again. So we'd probably go for another surf again after
that and then might invite the children along as well
in the afternoon because my kids love the seat and
(29:22):
Amelia, we all love the beach and then we probably take
the dog for a walk. We also really love Salthouse.
I mean we'd probably go to Salthouse in the afternoon
after that. Salthouse is great and then have a meal
in the Dun Cow, which is one of our favorite
places to have something to eat. But yeah, we love
that beach. I'm probably spoiling it now. Everyone's going to know
about Salthouse beach, but it's a really great beach and
the dog loves it. He whimpers with excitement when he
(29:45):
knows he is there. He's just very, very excited and
we all just run and yeah it's a special place.
So yeah, so that would, and then probably watch the sunset and have a
beer. Yeah. That would do that would do I reckon.
Juliette Maxam (29:57):
That'd be an incredibly long day. And then I
think collapse into bed after all of that.
David Whiteley (30:01):
Yeah. One beer and then be fast asleep, Juliette. One beer.
Juliette Maxam (30:03):
I think apart from the very early morning, it sounds fabulous.
Lucy Wright (30:07):
David, you do like traveling by train don't you? You've traveled quite a lot
around our local network.
David Whiteley (30:11):
When I used to spend a lot of time on the road, it was always a relief to get
the train and know that you could go to London from Norwich
on the Greater Anglia line and kind of think, " ah,
do you know what I haven't got to worry about driving to London
or driving somewhere." One particular part I really love is
when the train gets to Manningtree and you kind of
see the estuary open up and it's just very special. And
if the sun's catching the sea in the estuary there,
(30:33):
the tides in, it's a very beautiful spot. And I
think you, if you do spend a lot of time looking out the windows, instead of
scrolling through your phone, as a lot of us are
guilty of at times, you can really see such amazing
parts of the region from the train.
Juliette Maxam (30:48):
Well, I think we've got a perfect trip for you.
You love the coast. You like traveling by train. What
I would recommend to you is next time you are
looking for a day out, maybe with the family, is
get on the train at Norwich and go to Lowestoft.
It's a really lovely, really beautiful line. You like water,
(31:08):
you go past loads of water. There's the River Waveney, which at
some point seems even higher than the train track. And
so it's really weird that you are in a train
and you look out of the window and there's a boat at
a higher level than you. And you go past Oulton Broad.
And then when you get to Lowestoft, you come in
next to the Harbor. So you are traveling next to
all these boats. It's really scenic line. But, it's not
(31:31):
just the water. It's also the stations. There's some beautiful stations
along the way with amazing gardens. At Cantley, they've got a
boat and they're creating a sail made out of flowers
which looks really pretty. Somerleyton has an incredible garden. And
in fact, they've done this planting to attract scarce butterflies.
(31:51):
And then of course, when you get to Lowestoft, well, wonderful
sandy beach and the most easterly station, the most easterly
point in the whole of the UK. So fish and
chips, maybe a little beer, just a perfect little trip.
David Whiteley (32:05):
You're selling it to me, Juliette. You are. I mean, I don't
think I've ever... I know Amelia's done that line many,
many years ago when the children were little, but I've
never been on that one. And I didn't realize it
went through the Waveney, of course it does. Yeah. And you've
got such... Somerleyton's beautiful and I know that easterly point
very well. I filmed many an occasion on that most
easterly point of the UK. And I think Lowestoft's underrated.
(32:28):
I think it's a very special place. The beaches are vast.
Juliette Maxam (32:31):
It's definitely a route for looking out of the window. The
lovely big picture windows on the new trains.
David Whiteley (32:36):
Yeah, fantastic.
Juliette Maxam (32:38):
Well, thanks very much for joining us.
David Whiteley (32:40):
Well, it's been my pleasure. Thank you.
Juliette Maxam (32:41):
And be sure to take up our recommendation. I don't
think you'll be disappointed.
David Whiteley (32:46):
Absolutely. Well, thank you both very much for having me on the podcast.
Lucy Wright (32:50):
We've reached the end of this episode. We hope you've
enjoyed learning more about Greater Anglia.
Juliette Maxam (32:55):
Please do leave us a rating or review on your
podcast platform and tweet us at Greater Anglia PR.
Lucy Wright (33:01):
Life on Rails releases every six weeks. So be sure
to check back soon for episode five.
Juliette Maxam (33:06):
And in the meantime, follow or subscribe to the podcast
for free so you never miss an episode and visit
our website at www. greateranglia. co. uk/ podcast for more information.
Lucy Wright (33:19):
Thanks for joining us. Bye.
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