Press release -
London Northwestern Railway: Train-mad nine-year-old from Buckinghamshire becomes mini conductor for the day
A railway-mad youngster from Buckinghamshire got to live out his dream of being a train guard for the day, thanks to London Northwestern Railway (LNR).
Oliver, aged nine from Milton Keynes, was invited to climb on board LNR’s brand-new electric fleet yesterday (Thursday 12 February) to try out as a ‘Junior Conductor’. During a journey between Milton Keynes and Crewe, the youngster got to make announcements, check tickets and greet passengers.
Acting as an ambassador for Milton Keynes, Oliver was one of ten children selected to represent their local stations along the popular Trent Valley route which connects London with destinations in Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire.
The group of young train guards were kitted out with everything they need to fulfil their role, including uniform essentials like high-visibility jackets, ties and cravats, as well as an all-important whistle.
Oliver said: “I’ve always loved trains, so it was so exciting to meet a real train guard and learn all about the different tasks they get to do. I checked lots of tickets and even made announcements on board, it was amazing!”
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at London Northwestern Railway, said: “Our cohort of mini train guards did an excellent job today. Not only did they take their duties very seriously, they made our passengers smile throughout their journey.
“At LNR, we’re on a mission to inspire the next generation of railway professionals, so it’s an absolute joy to see so much enthusiasm for the industry from these ten youngsters. I’m sure we’ll be seeing some familiar faces again when they embark on their future careers in the railway.”
The event follows the rollout of LNR’s new electric train fleet – known as the Class 730/2s – to the Trent Valley route in December 2025. Bringing more capacity and modern amenities, these new trains are significantly longer than the previous fleet and include features like open gangways, smart air conditioning and USB chargers at every seat.
Topics
Regions
Scroll down for image download.
The Junior Conductors were:
- Natan, aged 8, from Crewe
- Arthur, aged 6, from Stafford
- Henry, aged 10, from Rugeley
- Isaac, aged 10, from Lichfield
- Katherine, aged 10, from Tamworth
- Archie, aged 7, from Atherstone
- Joseph, aged 11, from Polesworth
- Dhanwin, aged 7, from Nuneaton
- Hazel, aged 10, from Rugby
- Oliver, aged 9, from Milton Keynes
About London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway
For further information on this release, email press.office@wmtrains.co.uk
- London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston.
- West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk
If you have been sent this press release, this is because we believe this to be of interest to you.
To sign up for all future releases, visit our newsroom and subscribe to our updates. You can unsubscribe to our releases at any time.
