One of the south west’s railway workers stars in a new campaign to highlight the essential roles of people who keep trains running, as new findings released by Network Rail reveal railway professionals are underrated in public importance compared to other key workers in Britain.
The results come as Network Rail launches a new campaign called ‘Hidden Heroes’ – highlighting the vital work its employees do to keep the railway running, with a total of 1.61 billion journeys made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the latest year alone (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024).
In the public survey, more than half of respondents (56%) understandably ranked health/social care workers as the number one most important key worker. Out of the nine available options, rail professionals were rated as most important by 3% of respondents nationally, with the figure even lower in the south west region (fewer than 1% of respondents).
With over half of respondents from the south west (52%) admitting to little or no understanding of rail workers’ responsibilities, Hidden Heroes challenges perceptions around what it means to work in the rail industry – from mobile operations managers safely removing fallen trees on tracks to prevent train delays, to community safety managers teaching children to make smart decisions around the railway.
To mark the launch of Hidden Heroes, Network Rail is teaming up with talented artists to capture Network Rail 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 (Thursday 12 September).
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.
Anita Bradfield, who has been with Network Rail for five years, is one of the heroes being brought to life on canvas. Anita is a mobile operations manager on Network Rail’s Western route, which means that she’s the first on scene to keep the tracks clear whenever she’s needed. From removing fallen trees or shepherding curious sheep and other creatures off the line to safety, Anita has seen it all and works hard to keep the railway moving, no matter what.
Anita said: “I’m really proud to support this campaign. As a mobile operations manager no two shifts are the same.
“I’m reacting to whatever the day throws at me, from fallen trees on the line, to incidents like vehicles crashing into bridges. I love my job, it comes with serious responsibilities and it’s a huge privilege helping to keep passengers safely on the move.”
Andrew Haines, chief executive, Network Rail, commented: “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.”
Image credit: Network Rail
