Network Rail Hidden Heroes campaign to highlight vital roles of rail workers
From teaching children rail safety, to clearing blockages off the tracks, a light is being shone on the vital role of rail workers in a new campaign.
As survey results reveal just 1% of respondents in the Eastern region rate rail professionals as the most important key workers — and 42% nationally admit to having little or no understanding of rail workers’ responsibilities —National Rail has launched a campaign to highlight the vital work its employees do to keep the railway running.
Called Hidden Heroes, the campaign aims to challenge perceptions around what it means to work in the rail industry, which oversaw a total of 1.61billion journeys made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the last financial year alone.
From mobile operations managers who safely remove fallen trees on tracks to prevent train delays, to community safety managers who teach children to make smart decisions around the railway, there are many roles which may fall under the radar but are vital for Network Rail to operate and develop 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, thousands of signals, level crossings and 20 of Britain's largest stations.
Rob Merry, who works as a community safety manager for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “Working as a community safety manager is an incredibly rewarding job and I am delighted to support this campaign. I spend most of my time with the local community, attending schools and educating people on the dangers around the railway.
“I love my job and safety is our top priority, I am committed to making the railway a safer place, improving train performance and inspiring young people on making the right decisions.”
To mark the launch of Hidden Heroes, Network Rail has teamed up with talented artists to capture its colleagues on canvas.
Wendy Barratt, Sky Arts portrait artist of the year winner 2023, Duncan Shoosmith, Sky Arts portrait artist of the year winner 2019, and Sara Reeve, Sky Arts portrait artist of the year semi-finalist 2023, will paint a selection of unsung heroes — chosen for the extraordinary care they put into their work — in a live pop-up artist studio in London Waterloo station today (September 12).
The finished portraits will be displayed to the public in 2025 as part of Railway 200, a year-long nationwide partnership-led programme to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail.
Wendy Barratt, Portrait Artist of the Year Winner 2023, said: “I was really pleased to be asked to be involved in this project and find the idea of painting the portrait of a 'hidden hero' a really interesting concept, especially in these days of celebrity.
“I much prefer the stories behind the scenes, painting portraits of ordinary people who do extraordinary things — or things that we just take for granted but are key to the running of our everyday life.”
Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “Seeing first-hand the vitally important work staff do on the railway, connecting people with friends and family and helping to support economic growth, instils an immense sense of personal pride.
“Our priority is to deliver a reliable railway that people can trust to get them where they need to be. I hope this campaign helps to inform the public of the essential role our people play in delivering this mission.”
