Southern and Thameslink staff celebrated at Royal Garden Party

Railway staff working for Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern have been celebrated at Buckingham Palace for their outstanding work keeping the country moving.

Staff working across the business, from behind ticket office windows to managing stations, were recognised for their above-and-beyond contributions to the railway and the communities it serves with a series of garden parties hosted by the Royal Family in May.

Southern driver Matthew De Le Vingne (see notes to editors for photo) was among the lucky few who were able to meet the King at one of the parties on 12 May.

The driver, 42, who lives in Burgess Hill, was recognised for his compassionate approach after spotting a teenage girl who was contemplating suicide, scared and curled up at the side of the railway line near Eastbourne last year.

Matthew contacted the signaller to prevent any more trains from moving in the area, and once he knew it was safe – he stepped down from the cab and approached her, encouraging her into his train drivers’ cab for safety. He built a rapport with her, listening to her feelings, and bonding over the fact they were both wearing braces.

The train was driven to Eastbourne, where Matthew stayed with the girl, helping to clean her wounds and waiting until police and paramedics arrived.

Matthew said: “It was a real honour to meet the King at Buckingham Palace. It was a lovely day, and the weather was nice too!

“I told him about my work going into schools to teach railway safety and the King was really interested in this, and the work we do to try and reduce the number of trespassers.”

Other staff included Hitchin Station Manager Karen Chudovszky, who was nominated to attend the party by her colleagues who call her a “frontline hero” for going above and beyond the call of duty helping passengers and supporting her station team.

Karen started on the railway in 2013 as a platform dispatcher at Arlesey, working in a number of roles before becoming the Hitchin station manager in January 2023.

Karen said: “It was a really special day at Buckingham Palace. I started on the railway more than a decade ago, dispatching part time. It really suited me as my daughter was only 12 and I was a single mum.

“Now, my daughter is nearly 25 and I’m still on the railway! I often look back and wish I had 'found' the railway sooner, but it’s better to be late than never! I certainly didn't think I would still be here 13 years later and now I cannot imagine a career anywhere else.

“I am incredibly lucky to have such a great team to manage and really supportive colleagues. It’s my teams which do the hard work every day.”

Other staff members included Tim Kimber, Southern’s Competency Development Manager in Barnham, who volunteers to support colleagues who have been exposed to traumatic incidents using the Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) response technique, and Hugh Luff, who works in the ticket office at Arundel station and organised a collection of more than £10,000 worth of clothing and sleeping bags to send to people in Ukraine.

Ruth Busby, GTR’s People Director, said: “I am extremely proud of all our staff who work hard every day to deliver a great service for the near-million passengers who travel on our network each day.

“With nearly 8,000 people working here, our railway is full of great stories to tell - just like every one of our destinations.

“Sometimes, these are great examples of going above-and-beyond for customers or showing real kindness in challenging situations. I am delighted to see our people recognised at Buckingham Palace for their contributions to the railway.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Pictures of Matthew De Le Vigne are available on the PA Images news wire. Search Matthew Leburn.