Hero driver and guard save man's life on train track

A train driver and guard worked together to save a man's life when they came face-to-face on the railway line. London Northwestern Railway (LNR) driver Glynn Smith and senior conductor Jessie Hinds-Taylor were operating a service on the approach to Alsager station when from behind the controls Glynn found himself face-to-face with a man standing on the tracks.

Glynn was able to stop in time before Jessie exited the train and managed to persuade the man, who was in state of extreme distress, to climb on board to receive help before being taken into the care of the emergency services. Following the incident in March, Glynn and Jessie, who are both based at LNR's depot at Crewe, have been honoured for their actions by the company and received Life Saver awards.

Jamie Ainsworth, health, safety, security and environment director at LNR, said: "We offer training to all our frontline colleagues on how to deal with individuals in a state of distress but putting the theory into practice is incredibly challenging. We are very proud of the actions taken by Glynn and Jessie during this incident, which undoubtedly saved a man's life. Their actions are a dramatic example of the thousands of interventions, big and small, made by colleagues across the network every year."

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Speaking about the incident, Glynn said: "I quickly applied the brakes and asked Jessie to get off the train and talk to the man. She displayed so much compassion and managed to persuade him to board. In my 11 years at the company, this was the first time I've encountered this kind of situation, and I'm truly grateful we were there to help."

Jessie added: "The man was trying to harm himself. It was a really scary incident to be involved in but I am just glad that we were able to help him that day."

London Northwestern Railway manages the risks of rail suicide in partnership with Network and the British Transport Police. This includes training railway employees to look out for and offer support to people who may be vulnerable and working in partnership with Samaritans and other charities to de-stigmatise suicide. If a member of the public notices someone on the platform displaying behaviour that could indicate a suicide attempt, they should speak to staff or text the British Transport Police on 61016.

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