Brian, a cat believed to be a stray who lived at St Albans station and was fed and looked after by the station staff, was reunited with his owner after three years following the discovery of his microchip on a trip to the vet.
St Albans Team Leader Tasha Hodges explains: “Brian as we called him slept either on the station seat or in his box.
“We would go out and get cat food and biscuits for him weekly and with kind donations from our passengers as well, he never went hungry. Brian (called Obama by his owner) would follow us around the station and never went on the track or boarded a train nor was he frightened by trains. Our two security guards we have on Friday and Saturday night loved him as well.
Brian was taken to the vets for fleas and the microchip was discovered. He had been missing for three years following a trip to St Albans with his owner, a woman from London.
Tasha added: “We all hope Brian/Obama is settling in nicely back at home.”
Ends
Notes to editors
For more information email press.office@gtrailway.com or call
Southern and Gatwick Express press office: 0203 750 2030Thameslink and Great Northern press office: 0203 750 2031Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
Thameslink – Bedford to Brighton, Sutton, Wimbledon and SevenoaksGreat Northern – London to Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s LynnSouthern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)Gatwick Express – Fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London VictoriaGTR is now the largest rail franchise in the UK in terms of passenger numbers, trains, revenue and staff: GTR carries about 273 million passenger journeys per year, employs around 6,500 people and generates annual passenger revenues of approximately £1.3bn.
Details of the franchise:
22% of all UK passengers6,500 employees£1.3bn annual revenue£237m passenger journeys£50m investment to enhance all 239 stations50% increase in capacity1,398 new train carriages10,000 additional morning peak seats into LondonFree Wi-Fi at 104 stations20,000 days of customer service training for frontline employees£1m per year for local communities to spend on improvements at stationsThe GTR investment programme for stations includes funding for more CCTV, toilet refurbishments, new retail facilities, help points and car park improvements – as well as plans for increased motorcycle storage and improved transport integration.
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