Beloved Avanti West Coast Train Manager in his 80s still welcomes customers onboard

• Bob Carpenter, 84, has worked on the West Coast Main Line for nearly 35 years
  
• Pursued dream job on railway after 20 years working with Royal Mail
  
• Grandson followed in Bob’s footsteps having joined the industry after A-Levels

If you are regular on the Avanti West Coast network, chances are you may have bumped into Train Manager Bob Carpenter with his friendly smile and warm welcome.

But what you may not know is that spritely Bob is one of the oldest train managers in the UK at the age of 84.

Born in June 1942, the grandfather of six, grew up in South London, near to the Brighton Main Line, where he developed a love for the railways. Influenced by his father’s passion for trains and a British Rail representative at a school careers evening, Bob applied to the industry and was offered a Fireman Cleaner role when he was 15-years-old. Teachers, however, did not approve the early release from his studies, and the job offer had expired by the time he had left school six months later.

After working two decades in clerical positions for Royal Mail, he decided to make his dream to work with trains a reality and joined British Railways in 1992 as Catering Staff. He soon trained his way up to Train Manager where, nearly 35 years later, he continues to work on part-time basis because he loves the industry and enjoys helping customers with their journeys.

For Bob, the railway is a family affair as his grandson, Nick, has followed in his footsteps by also joining the industry.

Nick Carpenter, 37, began with the West Coast intercity operator straight after completing his A-Levels in 2006, tracing a similar path to his grandad by starting in catering and moving up to Train Manager.

Reflecting on his job, Bob said: “I’ve loved the railway since I was a kid. Growing up close the main line between London Bridge and Brighton, I was sort of born into the sounds of trains.

“I could have stopped work when I reached retirement age, but it gives me a reason to get up in the morning. I have many interests at home; however we’ve all got to have something which we love doing, and working in this job is what I love doing.

“Working for the railways is like working as part of a family, they’re like an extended one. You care about these people as you’re with them 12 hours a day, three times a week.”

He continued: “Looking back, some of my fondest memories are of the Grand National Specials we used to run in the nineties with volunteer crews. From the moment I left Euston to the moment I got to Lime Street and back again, I just never stopped laughing. As a man of my age at the time, I don’t know whether it’s working with younger people, but it was the greatest fun I’ve had in years.”

Working out of London Euston station, Bob travels all over the West Midlands and North West every week, providing a professional helping hand and welcoming manner to customers onboard his trains. He is beloved by his Avanti West Coast colleagues at the London hub for his friendly, always-smiling nature.

Speaking about following in his grandad’s footsteps, Nick added: “It was inevitable, to be honest with my grandad being such a good role model. As a child I’d go to his house with my brothers and he’d turn up in his uniform at 9pm and tell us, ‘I’ve been to Scotland and back in a day’ - that for me that was magic.

“When I was 10, we were on holiday and took a trip on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, where he bought me a souvenir train whistle from the gift shop. It sat in my cupboard of keepsakes for years, and now, it is my whistle for work, and I never leave without it.

“When I finally joined the railway, I remember my first job that I had out on my own was actually working with him as my guard. We did a Glasgow train on a Sunday afternoon and it was really busy. He never stopped from the moment we left the platform at Euston until we got to Preston.”

Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director at Avanti West Coast said: “Bob is a much-loved and highly respected part of our onboard team, who displays an incredible passion for the railway and his job every time he steps onto a train.

“We talk about being a railway family, and for Bob the railway has remained in his family with his grandson Nick inspired to also become a Train Manager. They are both such a joy amongst our Euston colleagues, and Bob truly is a fantastic role-model to highlight that you should never give up on achieving your dream job – no matter your age.”

ENDS