“It’s being surrounded by such great colleagues that make 40 years pass by in a flash.”

11 August 2026

Following his colleagues throwing a surprise party to celebrate his 40s years working on the railway, Richie Tierney, Train Manager at Avanti West Coast, reflects on the last four decades and shares how it’s the people who make the role what it is.

“I was completely overwhelmed with how many colleagues showed up to my surprise celebration for working 40 years on the railway. I grew up in Liverpool and Lime Street station is where I started four decades ago, so having colleagues both past and present gather in the First Class lounge there to celebrate was really special.

“Like a lot of people working in the industry, I was inspired by family to join after school. It actually was my dad who got me into working on the railway when I was 17, he worked as a Train Guard and enrolled me on to the Youth Training Scheme, which led to my first role operating the TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) at Lime Street station.

“That job consisted of monitoring train movements and formations in the yard, inputting data into the system, as well as generating the printouts of train formations for the drivers and guards. It was different time back then and I have seen a lot of changes on the railway.

“It was a great introductory role into the railway as you got to meet so many different people, something that is still the case in my current position as Train Manager on the West Coast Main Line which I have been doing since 1998. It’s one of the parts of my job I enjoy the most.

“I still can believe I have been here since 1986, but it’s being surrounded by such great colleagues that make 40 years pass by in a flash.”