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Hi everyone, my name is Louise, I have been working in the railway industry for 20 years.  I have been lucky enough to have worked in various railway positions progressing my career to the point of managing the second biggest Traincrew Depot in Greater Anglia.

I have recently become a Grand-Mother which is equally as challenging as managing some Drivers.

I look forward to meeting you all and sharing our railway stories!

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Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Igor Kiala, I’m currently serving as a Mobile Operations Manager in Haynes.

I previously worked at St Pancras Station for a solid 12 years. I am a definition of starting from the bottom or from ground zero, with no experience and no sense of direction. The goal was to simply make money and survive as a customer service officer. As the years past I developed an interest for the railway industry and started to inquire for advancement. My resilience to strive amongst those who were more competent than me, reassured my managers to train and capacitate me for my current role as Hayes MOM.

My resilience continues till this day, hence why I am on this course, as I believe knowledge is my currency.

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Hi Everyone, I'm Casey.

I have been on the railway since 2008 starting out life as a crossing keeper in Anglia before moving to my first signal box a year later in the Kent Route. I worked my way up through the signalling grades, returning to Anglia and landing at Colchester PSB in 2013.  I have filled various roles since then including Train Running Controller West Anglia at Romford ROC and Deputy LOM at Colchester.  I have recently moved in to a Shift Signaller Manager role at Colchester PSB.  I am hoping that completing this degree will help me shape my career as I still have a lot of years left to go.

Outside of work I run a holiday let and am a private landlord along side navigating the challenges of being a first time dad to a little girl.   In what spare time I have left I like exercising, cooking and gaming.

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... Pleased to meet everyone. I am Alan Crawford. Currently I am the Performance Improvement Coordinator for Glasgow DU working for Network Rail.

I have worked within the railway since 1990 starting of as a Signal & Telecoms Technician. I then moved into the P.Way as Section Planner from there I took a position as Planner & Admin within the Off-Track Team in Inverkeithing. My career then took me onto a secondment as Works Plan Coordinator in Edinburgh and Resource Planner at Motherwell. I have been doing the CIRO programme starting with the Higher then Diploma certificate. I look forward to linking up with everyone. Good luck.

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Hi all, I am Chris Mackenzie, Operational Training Manager for Avanti West Coast. I have been in the industry since 1999 when I was sweet 16 and a size 28" waist, oh how things change!

I am also one of the CIRO's Area Chairs for the NW & Wales - let me know if you'd like an event arranging...

Look forward to meeting you all, even if it is only virtually.

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Hello all, I am Harry Howe, a Network Rail Mobile Operations Manager. I am first responder to critical railway incidents and emergencies.

I have worked in the rail industry for 10 years and began in Track maintenance and renewal before becoming a MOM.

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Hello fellow students and tutors,

My name is Hristo, currently working as Lead Customer Experience Resource Planner for Arriva Rail London.

I have worked in the industry for almost 15 years and had the opportunity to work in various roles - Customer Host, Station Crowd Control Manager, Senior Resource Controller, Roster Clerk, Project Lead etc.

I am looking forward to expand my knowledge and add an academic value to it.

As well as being passionate about the railway industry, in my personal time I am also a World explorer and an aviation geek. I have a personal goal of visiting the majority of the fairly safe to visit countries around the World (this will inevitably move down on my priority list for the next couple of years).

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Hi Everyone, My name is Tobi and I am a Senior Network Delivery Manager for Anglia Route. I have worked for Network Rail for nearly seven years and have been on Sussex, Kent and High Speed. I am looking forward to learning all the things I don't know I don't know

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Hi Everyone, My name is Tobi and I am a Senior Network Delivery Manager for Anglia Route. I have worked for Network Rail for nearly seven years and have been on Sussex, Kent and High Speed. I am looking forward to learning all the things I don't know I don't know

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Hi everyone, I'm Brian. I have worked within the railway industry for almost 35 years. 28 years of my time has been spent in the Control department, dealing with all sorts disruption. The last 3&1/2 years of my time there have been spent in a management position, following my appointment to Route Control Manager in 2020. I am looking forward to the next couple of years on this degree and learning new things about the industry.

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Hello,

I've finally managed to get this to work!!

I am Kirsty Mitchell, and I work for Network Rail. I joined in 2005 at the young age of 19, as a Signaller at Crabley Creek (Hull - Gilberdyke). I have since stayed in Operations and have been relief Signaller, LOM, Incident Controller, Route Control Manager, Lead Route Control Manager, Senior Network Delivery Manager and most recently been promoted to Head of Control in York.

Earlier this year I completed the Level 5 IRO apprenticeship in Railway Operations with a distinction and decided I didn't want a rest! So here I am, having never attending university its something I have always wanted to achieve. I have previously studied with Open University also but only for the first year of university.

Looking forward to getting to know you all and completing this together.

K

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Hi all, I’m Lauren! Great to have met some of you at the launch event last week.

I’ve been with Network Rail for the last 5 years (majority of that time with Network Rail High Speed) and am currently a Programme Manager for 21st Century Operations, focusing specifically on the North London Railway modernisation. Prior to this, I was Station Manager at St Pancras International. Prior to joining the railway, I spent 9 years as a director of an outdoor rec facility in upstate New York.

I have an MA in Business and Management, although it’s been a few years since I graduated, so will need to dust off the old study techniques and fend off the procrastination which haunted me as a student!

Looking forward to the next couple of years :)

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Hello everyone,

I'm Zahid, currently serving as an Operations Specialist at HS2. Before joining HS2, I held the role of a Control Manager on the Elizabeth Line. With close to 15 years of experience in various roles within the railway industry, I'm excited to be on the course and look forward to meeting you all.

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Hi all, my name is Luke and I am the Professional Head of Operational Safety at East Midlands Railway.

I have worked on the railway for 13 years during which time I have been fortunate to hold a number of roles from Driver, Mentor, Instructor, Assessor, Trainer and Standards Manager.

In my spare time I enjoy hiking and cycling.

Looking forward to broadening my understanding of the rail industry and meeting you all along the way!

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I am currently a Network Delivery Manager on the Wessex Route within the WICC. My day-to-day consists of a variety of incident management and leading my team from a tactical perspective, from fatalities to signalling failures.

I have been on Network Rail for 8 years and was previously in the Armed Forces, serving on several tours,

I started on the S&T and worked my way through the grades prior to my move to Control.

Looking forward to working and learning alongside you all.

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Hello everyone,

I work for Network Rail. I started as a signaller, but now I am a Workforce Development Specialist in the East Coast Training and Competency Team.

I am based in Tyneside ROC, but spend my life going up and down the east Coast mainline, predominately to York, but nowhere is ruled out.

I deliver Operational Development Days to Signallers, MOMs, LOMs, OM; post incident training; REC quality assurance monitoring; multi agency sessions on Train Evacuation Management and Person Struck Management; and also, assist TOCs with some of their internal training.

Well, that's what I do this
week - it will change over time.

Want to know more, ask me!

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Hi everyone, I'm Tim Walther and have 16 years service at Network Rail. Previous roles include apprentice and Technician in electrical maintenance; on the Ops side I've been a Signaller, Shift Signaller Manager and a Local Ops Manager. My current role is Technical and Training Specialist (Operations).  Outside of the Railway side hustle, my main job is being a dad. I am a big movie buff, Marvel nerd and just enjoy time with friends, family and walking the dog. Travel adventures as often as possible.
Looking forward to getting to know you better and taking this challenge with you... misery likes company and all that (just kidding Brian).

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Hello everyone! I'm Allan Mackay and I've had the privilege of working with Network Rail for the last 19 years.

During this time, I've taken on roles such as Train Delay Attributor, Possession Planning Assistant, and Station Communications Assistant. During the past 15 years, I've been working as a Train Running Controller in Scotland Route Control.

When I'm not at work, I'm an enthusiast of board games, enjoy cooking and baking, maintain a regular routine at the gym, and i'm a huge fan of music and gigs.

I'm looking forward to connect with all of you and share our collective education journey!

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Hello , I'm Gerry Daly Customer Information Anglia for Greater Anglia - Thrilled to be on the BSc course with you all .

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Hiya, I'm Dave, pleased to meet you all.
I've been working with Irish Rail for nigh on 22 years at this point and during that time I've worked in various departments from Marketing, Ops and others through to where  I am now in the ICT dept and have been for the past 11 years.

I'm not sure if I'd call them hobbies, more of an escape for what little spare time that I have, but I enjoy walks, reading and I'm still an avid gamer...

I'm sure there's more I could write, but for now I'll leave it here.

Talk soon.

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Hi everyone! My name is Djibril. I work in Train Operations for Arriva Rail London and have been in the Rail Industry for over 10 years. I'm very much looking forward to starting the course and gaining further insight into the field. In my spare time, I enjoy taking long walks in the park with my family, playing football, and reading.

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Hi Folks,

I'm Stu Vinten, Operations Manager Cambridgeshire for GB Railfreight, Don't let the title fool you; I work across Anglia in an operational role. As part of my role I still hold Train Manager (Driver) and Rail Operator competencies' and am often out working turns.

I've been on the railway for 20 years all in operational grades and all with GB Railfreight. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and have a driving passion for ops, ops improvement and ensuring that each and everyone of us go home as we arrived.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all over the next two years and sharing our joint wealth of experience across different sectors of the industry.

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Hello. My name is Bex and I work for GWR as Head of Network Strategy. I have been on the railway for over 18 years in various roles.

My department looks after the Track Access Contract, and I lead on HS2 from a GWR perspective and the sponsor for Body Worn Cameras, ensuring all our frontline colleagues at GWR have access to a Body Worn Camera per shift.

I am a campanologist, I like crafting (it is now Christmas cake, sweet tree and pickling vegetables from my allotment season), DIY (slowly renovating my house) and returning to the gym after numerous recent operations.

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Hi, I am Tom Law. I work for GWR as the Accessibility Manager. I have worked in the industry for 8 years and I am looking forward to many years more! I applied for this course to expand my knowledge of the industry further and to really test myself. It was great to meet a few people on Saturday and I look forward to interacting with more people over the 2 years.

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Hello Everyone! My Name is Rich and I am the Driver Depot Manager at Exeter for GWR. I have worked on the railway for 15 years in different roles.
I am looking forward to learning more about the railway during the period of this course.

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Hello Everyone! My name is Tara and I am the Chief Civil Engineering's Department Continuous Improvement Specialties within Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail).

For over 21 years I have been working on the infrastructure side of the house and looking for to learn about other aspects of the railway.

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Hi everyone my name is Claire and I am Head of Drivers for GWR. I have been on the railway for 26 years and had many different roles within that time.
I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into the course content and learning some new things about the railway along the way!

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Hey hello everyone.  My name is Cass and I am the Analysis & Performance Manager in the National Disruption Fusion Unit (NDFU).  We are a joint organisational team formed of Transport Police (BTP)/Network Rail analysts and researchers that deal with Route Crime.  I've been with BTP for almost 19 years and with my current team since 2014.

To date, my main area of academic study (MSc, PhD) is policing but I am really keen to learn more about the operational railway.  I'm not coming into this with no knowledge because of the type of work I do, but I want to know more so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in.

I don't have a massive amount of spare time, but I enjoy gardening, baking, trampolining and k-dramas.

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Hi everyone, I'm Rob and I work for GWR.  I have been in GWR for 18 years working in various roles including control, driver, driver trainer, Head of Driver Training and Development and now as Regional Driver Manager.
This will be my first degree and it's fair to say that I'm a little nervous, mostly about the academic style of writing and referencing.
In my spare time (or the spare time I used to have!) I enjoy training at the gym, watching football and spending time with my wife and two daughters, mostly ferrying them to various football matches as they both play in teams.
I'm looking forward to getting cracking with this course, and getting to know you all along the journey.

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Hello. I'm Judith and I've been on the railway since 2001, the last twenty (20!) years with TPE. The pic is me being very pleased to welcome my dad on board the first Cl802 hybrid unit in passenger service after being on the Fleet team as Performance Engineer as we introduced three (3!) new fleets simultaneously. Never again.
I have moved away from Fleet engineering into the world of digital rail, spending the last two years as part of the East Coast Digital Programme as a Business Change Manager, focusing on Traffic Management. The ECDP is a hugely collaborative programme I'm pleased to be a part of - getting to see more of the industry and working at the interface of track and train in all its forms is a welcome change.

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Hi Everyone,

Great to meet you all today! My name is Lucy, and I’m a Senior Development Manager for Network Rail. I first started on the railway as a signaller, and am looking forward to getting stuck into the course content.

I’ve got a Master’s and Bachelor’s in History, so I must have signed up to this degree because I’ve been missing all the late nights of research and essay writing….

In my spare time I’m a private pilot, and I also really enjoy running and baking.

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A glimpse from inside of the National Command Center during the FIFA World Cup 2022

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Greetings respected leaders and esteemed classmates,

I am Shaun Andrew Kenneth, hailing from Doha, Qatar. I am employed with RKH Qitarat in the capacity of a Rules and Standards Manager within the RQHSE Department. We serve as the designated service provider for the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram systems.

I am enthusiastic about engaging in collaborative learning and the exchange of insightful ideas and perspectives.

Sincerely,

Shaun A Kenneth

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Hi everyone, I'm Dave and I'm a Driver Instructor for Transport for Wales in Chester. Looking forward to meeting people later this morning and getting stuck into the course!

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Hi.

My name is Carol Jarrett and I am a Network Delivery Manger, sometimes also called a Route Control Manager, in Kent Control. I have been on the railway for 31 years next month, most of that as a signaller.
My hobbies include walking my dogs, reading, gardening and learning. I have completed two BAs and a MA with the Open University over the last 20 years.
I was hoping to go to the launch in London, but I am not able to now and will be joining online.

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Hello all, my name is Aaron and I am currently working for Network Rail, working within the Emergency Management and Crime domain. I have worked within the Emergency Management space for many years, having been in the military prior to Network Rail.
I enjoy skiing, watching Rugby ( especially Ireland!) and golf. I intend to be present at the course launch in London on Saturday.
Outside of Network Rail I am also a senior officer within the Army Reserves, where my role is the advisor to the organisation on adult learning activities.

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Hello,
My name is Darren Brown and I work for Network Rail in Scotland as an Operations Delivery Manager. My favourite hobby is Football and I enjoy going to watch the Scotland national team at Hampden with the tartan army. I am very much looking forward to course launch. however, I will not be able to attend London in person but will be joining online 😊

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Hi Everyone,
My name is Brian Smith and I am your lecturer in Applied Personal and Professional Development this trimester. I am a Senior Lecturer at GCU and also Programme Leader for the entire GCU/CIRO suite of Railway Operations programmes at certificate, diploma and degree levels.
To introduce yourself just click on the big pink + button on the bottom right of the wall to add some text, and if you're not feeling shy, a photo would be nice too!
It's important we all get to know each other a little, so lets have your name, your job and your favourite pastime or hobby if you have one.
You already know my name, and my favourite hobbies are cooking, and keeping fit.