xc life – spring 2013

The magazine for CrossCountry peopleXCLifeSpring 2013

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Make-up magic� PAGE THREE

JOANNE’S DREAM OF HOLLYWOODGLAMOUR

XCLife p1 6/3/13 10:38

Deutsche Bahn impacthas been modest,practical and helpful

2 XC Life Spring 2013

IT has been two and half years since Deutsche Bahnacquired Arriva but I am still asked quite often how lifehas changed as a result. A company the size of Arrivabeing purchased by a massive overseas stateenterprise is a pretty awesome event so it is notunnatural to expect change; but how has it been?

The experiences of freight colleagues at EWS,acquired earlier by DB, are often mentioned. But whileEWS was absorbed by the well-established DBSchenker, Arriva of course became a whole newdivision of DB – for passenger businesses operatingoutside Germany. Our loss of autonomy and identitywas therefore likely to be less, and so it has proved.Arriva sits proudly alongside Schenker, SchenkerLogistics, Long Distance Passenger, Regional passengerand of course Netze (the infrastructure arm of DB).

We have also moved from being a UK StockExchange quoted ‘plc’ to a state owned business. Thishas given us a little more freedom to share detailsabout “how we are doing” without the fear that acomment out of place might have a significantimpact on our share price. We are not quite asconcerned about the views of “City Analysts” but itis still good to keep them briefed on our successes,as we compete with other plcs for UK rail franchises.

We might have been worried that being “stateowned” would cramp our style or prevent innovation.State industries in Germany are in fact required tooperate along the lines of normal commercialbusinesses. So actually, Arriva has been more a drivingforce for change than a business being driven or heldback. Support for Arriva could not be stronger, withthe DB Chief Executive being an Arriva Board member,such is his commitment to the division.

Have we been swamped by bureaucracy, process andlots more audit? Well not really. We have been lookedover a little more to begin with, but then we are a newpart of the group, so is to be expected. Such auditsthough, have so far either given us a chance to showwe are in good shape or given us the chance to adoptnew ideas where they are helpful. CrossCountry wasthe first Arriva rail business to receive a technical andoperational audit and we came through OK! I think DBhas been interested to find out how we operate insuch a lean and efficient fashion, so perhaps we aregiving something back too.

You would expect a group as large as DB to havesignificant buying power and we are indeed beginningto benefit from keener prices from some suppliers.Train Managers and Senior Conductors are now gettingtheir German-made ticket “stampers” direct from themanufacturer at last!

You might not be surprised to know that our “green”or “sustainability” agenda closely matches that of DBwhich will enable us to make an importantcontribution to the DB2020 strategy which you cancheck out on the DB website.

So reflecting on the last two years, the impact ofjoining DB has been modest and practical forCrossCountry; generally light touch and helpful. Andvery often, our views have been sought on how totackle some new challenges DB faces elsewhere.

by Andy CooperMANAGING DIRECTOR,CROSSCOUNTRY

AN elephant called Monica wasguest of honour at ZoeLoudon’s wedding. The Bristol

driver chose a Buddhist ceremony inSri Lanka for her special day.

She wanted somethingextra-special for the occasion – soshe asked for the elephant to be partof the wedding party.

Monica was present throughoutthe service at the Tangerine BeachHotel in Kalutara, and then took thebride and groom for a rideafterwards. “She took us on a tripthrough the palms in the hotelgrounds and dropped us off at thebeach,” said Zoe, who tied the knotwith Arthur Godfrey.

“It was a wonderful experience inan exotic location – even though it

was a bit difficult climbing up on astepladder wearing my weddingdress.”

Monica the elephant has along-standing association with thehotel at Tangerine Beach.

Draped in red, blue and yellowfinery she pops in regularly to seewedding guests – but she can be abit temperamental about timing.

“We were told that she needsthree hours to walk to the hotel, andthree hours to walk back,” said Zoe.“The time of our ceremony had to befixed to suit Monica’s timetable.”

An extra highlight of the occasionwas a traditional English element,with Zoe wearing a white dress tocomplement the Eastern robe shehad worn earlier.

WEDDING RIDEnever to beFORGOTTEN

ZoeLoudon andher husband

Arthur at theirwedding in Sri Lanka– with their specialguest Monica the

elephant.

XCLife p2 5/3/13 17:23 Page 1

XC Life Spring 2013 3

THE glamour ofHollywood has alwaysfascinated Joanne Lydon.Ever since she was ayoung girl she marvelledat the way make-up andlighting can create the

illusion of ultimate perfection.Now she’s all set to weave

the magic spell herself – she hasenrolled in a course at theMake-Up School at KensingtonFilm Studios in London.

Joanne, Train Manager atNewcastle, is pursuing herdream of becoming a mediamake-up artist in her spare

time. She has already completedan online course in colourtechniques and contouring.

“I have always wanted to be amake-up artist since I was agirl,” she said. “I love make-upand doing makeovers for myfriends.

“I believe good make-up canmake women feel better andhave a more positive self-image,especially these days when theycan be down on themselves.”

Joanne is looking forward tolearning about working on filmsets, lighting for photo shoots,male grooming and catwalk

make-up. “I would love to beable to make up a film star –Angelina Jolie would be a greatsubject,” she added.

Joanne also aims to provide abridal service on a spare-timebasis, making up the bride-to-befor her special day.

COVE

R ST

ORY

LAST year’s sensational discovery ofRichard the Third’s remains under a car park in Leicester was of special

significance for one CrossCountryemployee.

Mark Learoyd is a member of The RichardIII Society and he is thrilled that the king’sresting place has at long last beenuncovered.

Like the rest of the nation, he waited withbaited breath while DNA tests were carriedout by experts to confirm that the skeletonwith a curved spine was indeed the hunchbackwho was the last of the Plantagenet monarchs.

“I followed the archaeological dig reallyclosely and I have the details on mycomputer,” said Mark.

“When the news came through early thisyear about the positive identification I feltgiddy. I was absolutely excited and I got on thephone straight away to my dad – the one whointroduced me to castles and history when Iwas young.”

The Leeds Train Manager is such a fan of themuch-maligned monarch that he has a tattooof his personal badge, a white boar, on his armaccompanied by his motto “Loyalty Binds Me”.

He visits key battlefields such as BosworthField, attends the annual general meeting ofthe society and he has talked with a keymember of the Leicester University teamwhich tracked down the grave to Greyfriars carpark, the site of the friary where Richard wasburied in 1485.

Joanne enrols atMake-Up School topursue her ambition

Mark has

to KingRichard III

specialloyalty

MarkLearoyd at

home with some ofhis Richard III books.Inset right, his tattoo

of the monarch’swhite boar badge

and motto.

Facing the future,Joanne Lydon’sprepares for hernew venture.

XCLife p3 5/3/13 17:24 Page 1


DRIVER Richard White has goodknowledge of CrossCountry’s basein Bristol and Exeter House – hetook his aptitude tests there whenhe was younger.

Exeter-born Richard had joinedthe railways from school in 1989,beginning on the railway trainingscheme and progressing to be ashunter at Temple Meads.

“I then went to be a Trainman D(Freight Guard) at Bath Road and Isat my aptitude test on thesecond floor of the Bristol andExeter building,” he said.

“In those days under BR thepayroll section was on the first

floor where we are now, and Iremember chatting to some of thepayroll staff.”

Richard’s regular routes are outof Cardiff and from Bristol downto Plymouth.

“We run a three-trains-a-dayservice along the branch line atNewton Abbot, going throughTorquay to Paignton,” he added.

“This is an especially scenicroute. On the route to Plymouththe sea wall at Dawlish is prettyimpressive during the winter withwaves lashing – though at theback of your mind is the hope thatyour train won’t break down!”

At the centre of the Bristol operation are PeterWarren, Sullay Mansaray, Dawn Perkins andLara Thomas.

Driver Team Manager Peter Warren startedon the railways in 1973 and has had a longand varied career including a time as a tractioninspector. He took up his present post in 1999and is the longest-serving DTM inCrossCountry. Peter, who lives at Dilton Marsh,said: “My role is to assist the drivers to work totheir full potential. I am supporting peoplewho have a vital role to play in the smoothrunning of the CrossCountry franchise.”

Peter is keen to make the drivers – who havean often lonely profession – feel part of ateam. He added: “I get great support fromDriver Assessor Phil Greenwood and DriverInstructors Martin Thomas, Richard Mackie andSimon Gould. We also work well with BartonHill Depot which supplies Voyagers to us.”

Customer Service Manager Sullay Mansarayhas been on the railways for 20 years. Hebegan his rail career in onboard services andprides himself on never being sick or absentfrom work. Sullay, who is a lounge bar DJ in hisspare time, has responsibility for TrainManagers, First Class Hosts and Cleaners.

He said: “The Bristol Centre has a friendlyatmosphere and there is an excellent rapportbetween employees, managers and customers.I monitor and support the staff, making surepeople know what they are supposed to do.”

Customer Service Manager Dawn Perkinshas been at Bristol for 11 years and waspreviously CSM for CrossCountry in Derby.

With responsibility for Senior Conductors,Retail Service Managers and the ServiceCentre, she provides support for front linestaff and is on hand to help with both workand domestic issues.

Dawn, who is training to be a yogainstructor in her spare time, said: “We havea wonderful, close-knit team at Bristol.Around 50 per cent of people are relatedand we have a lot of mums, dads, uncles andaunts – it’s a real family thing.”

Team Organiser Lara Thomas – who hasbeen on the railways for 15 years and a TeamOrganiser for 11 years – sees her role askeeping everything ticking over, making surerosters, equipment and diagrams are in place.Lara, who lives in Burnham-on-Sea with herpartner and five-year-old son, said: “I also actas an agony aunt at times.”

Close knitteam hasa familyfeel to it

Driver returns to buildingwhere he sat aptitude test

The management team pictured outside Bristol and Exeter House are,left to right, Team Organiser Lara Thomas, Driver Team Manager PeterWarren, and Customer Service ManagersDawn Perkins and Sullay Mansaray.

Driver Richard Whitechecks out the notice

board in the generaloffice at Bristol and

Exeter House.

Trbyenhath

ServiceCentre TeamMember Kip

Singh.

XC Life focuses on Bristol Centre which operates trains between Birmingh

XCLife p4-5 5/3/13 17:27 Page 1

■ Temple Meads station, builtin mock-Tudor style, openedin 1840 as the Westernterminus of the GreatWestern Railway from LondonPaddington.

■ The railway includingTemple Meads was the first tobe designed by civil engineerIsambard Kingdom Brunel.

■ Temple Meads took itsname from the nearby TempleChurch, built by the KnightsTemplar, and water meadows

by the River Avon.

■ The original Brunel trainshed closed in 1965 but themock hammer-beam roof canstill be seen as part of the carpark.

■ CrossCountry’s home, theBristol and Exeter Building atthe approach to the stationentrance, was built in 1852 asthe headquarters of theBristol and Exeter Railway toa mock-Jacobean design bySamuel Fripp.

Temple Meads FACTFILE:


BRISTOL is unique among CrossCountryCentres in that its drivers operate allthree classes of train run by the

company. Voyagers and High Speed Trainscover the XC routes out of historic TempleMeads station while Class 170s travelbetween Cardiff and Nottingham.

The 43 drivers, based along with the otherCrossCountry staff in Bristol and Exeter Houseat the station, operate trains betweenBirmingham and Plymouth.

Between these two centres they also cover anumber of diversionary routes that arefollowed in the event of network problems orengineering works.

These transits – via Box Tunnel to Swindonand Didcot, round via Castle Cary andWestbury, and round via Westbury to CogloadJunction near Taunton – give access to someoutstanding scenery including the SomersetLevels and Glastonbury Tor.

When a diversionary route is taken throughWorcester, drivers have to take extra care withthe old-style signalling that still is still in place.CrossCountry’s Class 170s out of Newportand Cardiff to Nottingham take in Chepstowand Cheltenham.

The full complement of staff at Bristolincludes 24 Train Managers, nine SeniorConductors (who work the Class 170s), 16

Retail Service Managers, nine First Class Hosts,one Revenue Protection Officer, seven ServiceCentre staff (based in the Arches oppositeBristol and Exeter House) and eight Cleaners(five based in Bristol, three in Newport).

The centre is the only one in CrossCountry

to house all the different people.The company moved into Bristol and Exeter

House two years ago from Victoria Houseacross the road. “We find it really light andairy on the first floor of our new premises,which have high ceilings and a historicpedigree,” said Lara Thomas, TeamOrganiser. The accommodation

includes a messroom,union room, two

training rooms, quietroom, general office,

lobby and locker rooms.

All three train classes runout of historic station

Train Manager Steve Hudson pictured by the painting of the celebrated Victorianengineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel whichhangs outside the CrossCountry offices onthe first floor of Bristol and Exeter House.

DriverAndy Wayte

at Temple Meadsstation.

Below right, RetailService ManagerMichael Brosnan

books in.

gham and Plymouth as well as a number of crucial diversionary routes

XCLife p4-5 6/3/13 11:05 Page 2


As a supplement to the XC Life focus on Bristol on the previouspages, Senior Conductor SAM KOT tells us why she loves thecity in which she was born and bred.

PLYMOUTH and Readingtopped the list of centres fortheir sterling response to theDB employee survey.

Both returned a staggering100 per cent of theirquestionnaires – and as athank you have received£500 cheques for charity.

Plymouth staff havedecided to send theirdonation to St Luke’sHospice, while Readingemployees are forwardingthe cash to the mental healthcharity MIND.

This year 84 per cent ofthe surveys were returned, 18per cent more than last year.The large number of returnsmeans the survey will resultin a meaningful reflection ofemployees’ perception of thecompany.

Completed in 33 differentlanguages, it was one of thelargest employee surveysever conducted withemployees from 44 differentcountries taking part.

The results of the surveywill be communicated toeveryone at CrossCountryshortly, along with an actionplan looking at the areas tofocus on in 2013.

Key objectives for the yearahead have now also beenfinalised and will be sharedacross the business.

TWO groups of Leedsemployees are hoping Lady

Luck will pay them a visit.Twin lottery syndicates

have sprung up – one ofthem doing the NationalLottery and the otherEuromillions.

There’s a friendly rivalrybetween the groups – butthere is a bit of a crossover.

National Lottery player,Train Manager DarrenBoardman, said: “We did win£100 on the Lottery but wethen we spent it onEuromillions with a netresult of £28.40 profit!”

Top-notchresponseto biggestemployeesurvey

Looking forLady Luck

SamKot picturedoutside the

iconic frontage ofTemple Meads

station

’’

‘‘Iwas born in a hospital in Bristol and wasbrought up in Broomhill in the Brislington areaof the city. As a child I spent a lot of time with

my brother and two sisters at my grandparents’home in an old monastery surrounded by fields.

We would go for walks with the dogs along theRiver Avon as far as Beese’s Riverside Bar and TeaGarden, marvelling at the “booze cruises” beatingtheir way up river.

I had a lucky childhood because many ofBristol’s suburbs are semi-rural and you get thechance to be out in the open air. My aunts wouldtake us into the city for days out, to places likeBristol Zoo with its 12 acres of gardens, where I

especially liked the lions and gorillas.Another favourite haunt was Ashton Court at

the time of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.It was a fantastic occasion – on the last nightthere would be a “nightglow” event in the arenawhere the burners would go on and off in time tomusic and fireworks would be let off.

One of the most iconic views in Bristol is theClifton Suspension Bridge designed by Brunel and

completed after his death in 1864. The engineer’sSS Great Britain, the first iron-hulled andpropeller-driven ocean liner, is on show in BristolDocks. The waterfront in the city centre alsofeatures the Arnolfini arts centre, and there is goodshopping in Cabot Circus (named after theexplorer who sailed to Newfoundland from thecity). Bristol also has an aquarium and a number oftheatres including the Old Vic.

My dad and I are season ticket holders at BristolCity. As keen supporters of The Robins we go toAshton Gate for all the home games.

The stadium is also a great venue for concerts –I saw Bon Jovi perform live there.

I joined the railways 10 years ago when my dad,who was working as a track welder for NetworkRail (he has progressed to management), saw anadvert for a Retail Service Manager at Virgin Trains.

Now as a Senior Conductor with CrossCountry Itravel out of Bristol every day – by train or taxi –to start my shift in Cardiff or Newport, but Ialways look forward to returning to the city whereI was born.

Many happy returnsto city of my birth

XCLife p6 6/3/13 11:07 Page 1


PERIOD 8(four weeks to 10/11/12)

PERFORMANCE: 86.9%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 55.2%, XC 10.2%,other train operators 34.6%

PERCENTAGE OVER TARGET:28.8%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:89%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:

Class 170 – 14,440(yearly average 18,622: +12.80%year-on-year)

Class 220 – 44,542(yearly average 47,227: -1.73%year-on-year)


HST – 65,619(yearly average 22,751: +3.92%year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+6.30% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£12.16 (+6.0% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

76.0% (+4.2% on last year)

BusinessSTATS

EDDIE Martin is stepping up his campaign tobuild wells in West Africa after being honouredat the prestigious DB Awards.

The Bournemouth Train Manager flew toHamburg to collect his Special Award for Social andEcological Commitment at a glittering ceremony.

He was chosen to receive the accolade out of300,000 group wide-employees for his tirelesscommitment to bring fresh water to people inBurkina Faso.

Eddie set up his charity Myra’s Wells in 2006 inmemory of his wife Myra who died in a car crash.

Just back from West Africa where he has beentouring the 24 wells already constructed, Eddie said:“I was taken by surprise when I received myinvitation to attend the ceremony – but there’s nodoubt that God works in mysterious ways.

“It was an amazing venue and I was impressed by

the music, the special effects and the hugeapplause. The clear interest taken by members ofthe DB board cannot be exaggerated.”

The prize on the night for Myra’s Wells was 3,000euros, but other gifts from others present haveincreased that figure to over 7,000 euros – morethan enough for the next well. Work is currentlyunderway on a further two wells and Eddie is

considering buying his owndrilling rig in partnership withanother benefactor.

“The impact of the awardgoes far beyond thepresentation evening,” headded. “Winning enhances thecharity’s status and gives it thelevel of credibility that willenable it to tap into sources ofincome that would have beenpreviously impossible. I’mlooking forward to using the DBAward as an excellentspringboard for futurefundraising.”

■ People who want to helpshould visit www.myraswells.co.uk or email [email protected]

Charitywork inAfrica winsTOPAWARD

OUT IN AFRICA:Eddie Martin picturedduring his latest visit toBurkina Faso inspectingone of the wellsconstructed thanks tohis sponsorship.

SIX Newcastle employees enjoyed a taste ofeastern magic when they attended a charityfunction on the banks of the Tyne. Led byRetail Service Manager Janet Nicholson, theyentered into the spirit of the Bollywood Ballat the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel.

The food was Indian-themed and Bollywooddancers provided the evening’sentertainment. It’s the third time that Janethas attended the Ball, which raises money forSt Oswald’s Hospice.

Ever since her mother was cared for

superbly at the hospice before she died, Janethas been keen to support fundraising.

“The care people receive at the hospice isunbelievable,” said Janet. “The Ball wascolourful, vibrant and fabulous. The ladieswere in long dresses and decorated withbindis (red dots on the forehead).”

With Janet at the Ball were Retail ServiceManager Mandy Taylor, Train Manager CraigWaggot, First Class Host Julie Wilson, RetailService Manager Joanne King and First ClassHost Denise Carmichael.

Bollywood Ball raises funds for hospice

Eddie Martin,Bournemouth Train

Manager, collects hisaward and cheque at theDB Awards presentation in Hamburg. With him is

Customer Service Manager Jo Taylor who

accompanied him to Germany.

XCLife p7 5/3/13 17:54 Page 1


Edyta Dimmick, Reading FirstClass Host (five additional annualleave days);Rob Kendrick, Birmingham TrainManager (£40 cinema tickets);Vaughan Kearney, LeicesterSenior Conductor (iPodtouch/mini);Andrew Rhodes, LeicesterSenior Conductor (twocomplimentary first-classCrossCountry tickets)Craig Pearson, NewcastleRevenue Protection Inspector(dinner for two);Alan Young, Edinburgh TrainManager (£40 cinema tickets);Chris Pedley, Reading TrainManager (book voucher);Brian Johnson, Newcastle TrainManager (simulator experience/cab ride);James Hill, Birmingham FirstClass Host (Fortnum & Masonchampagne, port);James Pranley-Griffiths, BristolService Centre (£100 High Streetgift voucher);Marzena Stachowaik, Resources,Cannon House (spa day for two);Debbie Barton, CustomerRelations (trip to Czech Republic);John Leslie, Cambridge Seniorconductor (hamper);Simon Stratford, Bristol TrainManager (£100 High Streetvouchers);Brian Loughlin, BirminghamTrain Manager (iPad);

Jonathon Drummond Smith,Plymouth Retail Service

Manager (weekend awayfor two);

Samuel Stewart,Birmingham SeniorConductor (TV);Martine Dunne,Customer Relations(theatre break for two);

Mark Dyson, PlymouthService Centre (DAB Radio);

Jonathon Hardy, ManchesterCleaner (iPod nano);James Hill, Birmingham FirstClass Host (£100 High Streetvouchers);Ian Manktelow, BusinessImprover (year’s familymembership of English Heritage);Martin Hale, Birmingham FirstClass Host (£50 Bonusbondvouchers);Pervez Akhtar, Birmingham TrainManager (photograph session);John Fenwick, Newcastle TrainManager, (wine);Matt Sheldon, BirminghamCustomer Service Manager(dinner for two);Rob Scarffe, IT, Cannon House(experience)

LUCKY STARS from theCustomer Service recognitionawards are enjoying golden

moments after being selected in adraw which was held just beforeChristmas.

A total of 26 people receivedtreats ranging from an iPad to a

London weekend theatre break ina sparkling Twelve Days ofDecember lucky dip as the namesof people who had beenrecognised with a STAR duringthe past year were put into ahat and a random selectionwas made.

Each of the LUCKYSTARS was thanked inperson by their managerand presented with a goldenvelope containing theiraward. STARS werepresented throughout2012 to a wide range ofpeople in many differentroles including our onboardcrews and managers rangingfrom Cannon House tolocations across the networkwith the common theme ofdelivering great customerservice.

STARS is a great way to quicklyrecognise excellent service and saythank you.

The real essence of STARS is torecognise people who are oftendoing their normal job, but goingabout it with style and empathyto delight their customers creatinga “wow factor”.

So far, since the launch of thescheme in 2011, 612 STARS havebeen awarded with somehigh-flyers receiving more than oneto recognise their care anddedication to delighting customers.

The treatsare ever morevaried and ingenious,with the latest crop includingdinner for two, a spa day for two, aphotography session and a year’sfamily membership of EnglishHeritage.

Jeremy Higgins, CustomerService Director, said: “STARS is asimple way to recognise people we

see doinga great job. Like

the stars in the skythere is no limit to the STARS wecan award. It is an inclusivescheme which recognises people'sefforts and gives them entry toLUCKY STARS.

“Hopefully those who receive aSTAR feel good. It feels great toaward them.”

PEOPLE just can’t stopthanking Kevin Kramer – he’sreceived more customercompliments than any othermember of the onboard crew.

Messages of gratitudefrequently arrive atCustomer Relationsdescribing how the LeedsTrain Manager has brightenedup someone’s day. Hereceives up to three notes aweek from his CustomerService Manager Kerry Crossinforming him that he hasbeen praised yet again.

Kevin, who has been on therailways for 36 years and hasrecently received two STARSfor excellent work, saidmodestly: “I am just doingmy job. It comes naturally tobe cheerful and I find that Ican get away with a laughand a joke with customers

although I know where todraw the line – there aretimes to be serious.”

Kevin, who lives atKnottingley, has only everhad two jobs. He tried beingan accountant when he leftschool but didn’t fancystaring at the same fourwalls for the rest of his life.

“I much prefer a customerfacing job,” he said. “If peopleget off the train with a smileon their faces I have done myjob. It gives me a real buzz toknow that people are writingin to say that travelling withme was a pleasure.

“It makes the job feelworthwhile and it meansmore to me than anyfinancial inducement.”

Kerry said: “Kevin has funwith the customers andlights up people’s journeys.”

Kevin enjoys brightening up customers’ journeys

WINNERS AND THEIRTREATS

James Pranley-Griffiths,left, receives his LUCKY STAR certificate fromTeam Manager Paul Worthington at Bristol Service Centre

Birmingham FirstClass Host JamesHill is pictured withthe champagne andport he received asone of his twoLUCKY STAR prizes.

LUCKY STAR Birmingham Train ManagerPervez Akhtar pictured with the two STARSwhich he received earlier in the year.

Newcastle Customer Service Manager KarenGlancy presents a LUCKY STAR certificate toTrain Manager Brian Johnson.

Edyta Dimmick, Reading First Class Host, left,pictured with Customer Service Manager JoTaylor who presented her with her LUCKY STAR

Lucky stars rewarded withGOLDEN DRAW PRIZES

KevinKramer

with some ofhis STARSawards.

LUCKY STAR Ian Manktelow, Business Improver, holdsthe English Heritage membership which he received

as his award. He has been recognised for his work in developing the Lampblock

as a CrossCountry traincrew centre.


XCLife p8-9 6/3/13 10:20 Page 1


A warm welcome to the following who have recently joined the company:Jason Gordon, Finance; Pauline Newton, NewcastleCleaner; Joshua Young, Edinburgh Retail ServiceManager; Peter Glancy, Newcastle Cleaner; MichaelConnolly, Bristol Cleaner; Luke Leather, ManchesterCleaner; Shane Jacobson, Newcastle First ClassHost; Danielle McGuinness, Bournemouth RetailService Manager; Janine Barnard, Manchester RetailService Manager; Darren Errington, Newcastle FirstClass Host; David Shelley, Plymouth Retail ServiceManager; Claire Darby, Birmingham Retail ServiceManager; Samuel Eaton, Birmingham Retail ServiceManager; Jermaine Cameron, Finance; Del Crosby,Stations Customer Service Management; SimonEast, Manchester Driver; Mark Beasley, BirminghamNew St Driver; Jamie Simpson, Birmingham RetailService Manager; Ian Wright, Newcastle ServiceCentre; Howard Taylor, Manchester Retail ServiceManager; Andy Phillips, Bournemouth Retail ServiceManager; Jenny Hunt, Birmingham First Class Host;Sally King, Plymouth Retail Service Manager;Andrew Pearson, Birmingham Cleaner; JamesNicholson, Manchester Retail Service Manager;Angela Sullivan, Birmingham Cleaner; Jo Lees,Cambridge Driver.

Congratulations to the following who havereceived long service awards:

Michael Hayes, Plymouth Driver; Phillip Ward,Cambridge Driver.

Raja Amin, New St Train Manager; PeterLearmonth, Bristol Train Manager.

Joy Woodcock, Newcastle Driver; AndrewChapman, Plymouth Driver; Philip Caddy, PlymouthDriver; Steven Priday, Bristol Driver; Michael Cain,Bristol Driver; Mark Appleton, Derby Driver; BrianKelly, Derby Driver; Darren McKay, Derby Driver;Martin Flynn, Plymouth Driver; Paul Freeman,Birmingham New St Driver; Adrian Knight, XCPlanning; Lee Davies, Newcastle Driver; AlanSheppard, Newcastle Driver; Andrew Bradshaw,Newcastle Driver; Paul Nicholls, Birmingham FirstClass Host; Martin Hale, Birmingham First ClassHost; Kiranpal Thakar, Finance; Jamie Chambers,New St Train Manager; Samuel Mwaniki, ReadingService Centre; Nicola Prestage, New St TrainManager; Gillian Keeling, Edinburgh Station Staff;Liam Gerrard, Bournemouth Driver; Patricia Booth,Birmingham New St Driver; Rajbir Poonia, Finance;David Burrows, Derby Driver; Garry Rawding,Derby Driver; Andrew Davies, Plymouth Driver;Jaspal Singh, Birmingham First Class Host; SimonReeves, Bristol Driver; Jacob Conlon, Leeds Driver;Alistair Dunn, Newcastle Train Manager; DavidRamsden, Nottingham Cleaner; Lynette Phillips,Plymouth Retail Service Manager; William Clark,Leicester Driver.

BEST wishes to the following staff who areretiring:Robert Hatcher, Bristol Train Manager, PaulHemsley, Leicester Senior Conductor, Alan Hall,Cambridge Driver.

10 YEARS

25 YEARS

40 YEARS

New starters,long service

& leavers

ENTRIES are being invited for the2013 XC Cup Five-a-Sidecompetition which is set to be bigger

and better than ever before.The football tournament will be played

on Saturday 20 July on the outdoorpitches at Birmingham University andthere will be plenty of space forspectators.

The popular event, to be organised onceagain by Birmingham Train Manager PeteDonnelly, will include a marquee, free hogroast and a paid bar afterwards.

Pete said: “We’ve set a limit of 24teams and we hope to get at least oneteam from every CrossCountry location.We’re also hoping to attract some teamsfrom around Arriva, including regularattendees from Arriva UK Bus and even ateam from Arriva Europe.”

Teams from around the railway whohave entered the competition in previousyears will also be invited, but priority willbe given to teams from CrossCountry.

The cost of entry per team is £25 witha maximum team size of eight.CrossCountry team entrants will beco-ordinated by David Watkin,Commercial Director.

To secure your team’s place in thecompetition, please nominate a teammanager and drop David an email [email protected]’s first come first served, so prospectiveparticipants are urged to act quickly.

Pete added: “We are also looking forhelp on the day. We will need eightreferees and score takers. Anyone wishingto volunteer their services should contactDavid at the above email address.”

BEIRUT in the throes of terroristbombings, China during theSars epidemic… Pavol Donovalhas no fear of extremedestinations.

The Reading Retail Service Manager,whose ambition is to set foot on allfive continents, seeks out the mostchallenging corners of the world.

He recently completed a tour of tencountries in South America, taking inMachu Picchu and the seething streetsof Caracas in Venezuela.

“Going out after dark can bedangerous,” said Pavol, who was bornin Slovakia. “You have to be careful notto show any valuables you might becarrying.”

On an Asian trip Pavol and hisgirlfriend Erika crossed fromChina to India and explored the

Himalayas.In Beirut they witnessed

properties in the old town that werepunctured with bullet holes. “The daybefore we arrived there had been abomb explosion,” he recalled.

The intrepid travellers found Chinasafe and healthy as they toured around– despite the fact that the populationwas officially on a Sars virus alert.

“The same thing happened in Syria,”said Pavol. “Despite its currentreputation we found it was the safest place on the planet and really beautiful.”

GOINGFOR GOAL:

action from lastyear’s tournament

with Pete Donnelly ofLokomotiv Bob ‘B’ about

to shoot on goal withBirmingham NetworkRail’s Antony Wilkes

in hot pursuit.

No tame holidays... Pavol’s travelstake him to extreme destinations

Soccer cup setto be best ever

XCLife p10 6/3/13 09:24 Page 1


PERFORMANCE: 76.1%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 72%, XC 5.5%,other train operators 22.5%

PERCENTAGE OVER TARGET:9.1%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:88.1%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:Class 170 – 18,879(yearly average 18,794: +11.88%year-on-year)



HST – 16,602(yearly average 20,747: -13.42%year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+7% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£11.91 (+6.1% on last year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted68.7% (-2.2% on last year)

BusinessSTATS


JANE Doughty-Thorpe amazed her friends and familywhen she told them on Boxing Day she was gettingmarried the following day. What’s more, the Head ofIT announced she was tying the knot at GretnaGreen!

Jane had got engaged to Neil Langford, who worksfor London Midland as acting General Manager WestCoast, on Christmas Day. The couple had beentogether for nine years, and they suddenly askedeach other: “Why wait?”

Amazingly given the short notice, Jane wasaccompanied by seven bridesmaids and twopageboys at the 27 December ceremony.

“We had always fancied getting married at GretnaGreen and it was a wonderful day,” she said. “My12-year-old son Ezra gave me away, my 17-year-oldson Seth made the father of the bride speech andmy daughter Merle was chief bridesmaid.”

CAMBRIDGE Centre’s “Mr Railways” hasretired after 50 years on the network.Ivan Wells belongs to a railway family –

his older brother, two uncles and two auntsworked in the industry while his eldest son,Andrew, is Driver Team Manager at Cambridge.

Born and bred in the city, Ivan began on thefootplate grade as a cleaner at the tender age of 15on leaving school in 1963.

He progressed from fireman to driver’s assistanton steam trains and then clocked up 33 years ofunbroken service as a driver.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said 65-year-old Ivan. “Iwas working with a nice bunch of lads and althoughI am looking forward to my retirement I would do itall over again.”

Ivan recalls with affection the days when thetrains out of Cambridge carried large quantities offreight. “One of my favourite routes wasCambridge-Bedford-Bletchley-Oxford,” he said. “Thetrains would transport sugar beet and even carsfrom the manufacturing plant at Cowley.

“I would drive through the night, followed by arelief train that would carry the goods that we hadnot been able to load because of weight distributionrequirements.”

Starting out on his career on the cusp of the newdiesel era, Ivan was working on routes out ofCambridge that have long since disappeared, tolocations such as Yarmouth via March and Norwich,

and London and Colchester via Ipswich. When trainsbecame “dieselised” he found that for a time he andhis colleagues were the only ones who couldoperate certain key routes.

In the Oxford area of Western Region theCambridge crew were relied on for their knowledgeof Class 31 Brush Type 2 locos and they were“conducted” over the route to Didcot by GreatWestern drivers.

Ivan, who was a proud ASLEF secretary underBritish Rail, Central Trains and CrossCountry, hasloved every minute of his long service – but now hebelieves it is time to make a clean break from therailways. He is looking forward to spending moretime with his wife and travelling widely throughoutthe UK.

Son Andrew Wells said: “My father’s dedication,hard work, loyalty and commitment to the depotcould not have been questioned and it was aprivilege to have him as a driver at Cambridge.Without his influence I would not have joined therailway in 1992 as a trainman.”

Married the day after getting engaged

Mr Railwaysbows out after HALFCENTURYOF SERVICE

HALFCENTURYOF SERVICE








Jane and Neilpictured at theirwedding inGretna Green.

IvanWells and

his son Andrewat Cambridge

station.

XCLife p11 6/3/13 09:26 Page 1


Vegetable Korma

INGREDIENTS:4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 onions chopped

2 garlic cloveschopped

1 fresh red chili chopped

1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger 2 tomatoes peeled and chopped

1 orange pepper de-seeded andcut into small pieces

1 large potato cut into chunks

7 oz cauliflower florets

Half a teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of garam masala

7fl oz veg stock

5fl oz natural yoghurt

5fl oz double cream

1 oz fresh chopped coriander

METHOD

Heat the oil in a largesaucepan over a mediumheat. Add the onions andgarlic and cook off, stirringfor three minutes.

Add the chili and ginger andcook for a further fourminutes. Add the tomatoes,pepper, cauliflower, saltand the spices stirring for afurther three minutes.Stir in the stock and bring tothe boil. Reduce the heatand simmer for a further 25minutes.

Stir in the yoghurt and thecream and cook, stirring foranother five minutes. Addthe fresh coriander andheat through.

Serve with freshly-cookedrice.

Enjoy. Jules x

1

2

4

3

Right RoyalRecipes

CrossCountry’s veryown Royal chef JulesBacon, who wasonce cook to theQueen Mother atthe Royal Lodge,offers a vegetariantreat for the Springissue.

DAVE Perry has made acomeback on thecoaching front to teach

youngsters soccer skills – andhe’s already scored a bigsuccess.

The Train Crew Controller isback passing on tips to Years3-6 at Whitgreave PrimarySchool at Featherstone inStaffordshire after a lay-off ofa few years.

His efforts have beenboosted by an ArrivaCommunity Action Silver Awardgiving him £500 to pass on toschool funds for equipment.

Dave, who says he “lovesteaching,” has an excellent CVas a coach. One of his sons is aprofessional footballer based inTamworth and the other playssemi-pro for Lichfield City –

and he coached them bothwhen they were younger!

Now he is looking forward tothe time when he can coachhis grandson Mason, now agedthree, who has just started atWhitgreave Primary.

“I always wanted to be ateacher and since my wife is ateacher’s assistant at theschool I took the opportunityto get back into coaching torun the seven-a-side footballteam for a second time,” saidDave.

“My shift pattern enables meto do the coaching and alsohelp out with day trips toplaces like the Black CountryMuseum. There’s greatsatisfaction in helping to bringout the footballing potential inthe young pupils.”


PERFORMANCE: 82.1%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 66.5%, XC 8.6%,other train operators 25%

PERCENTAGE UNDER TARGET:16.6%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:87.8%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:Class 170 – 53,182(yearly average19,241: +4.39%year-on-year)



HST – 25,208(yearly average 20,254: -27.48%year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+5.50% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£11.28 (+2.9% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

72.6% (+5.3% on last year)

BusinessSTATS

DavePerry is

back coachingyoungsters at aprimary school

where his grandsonhas recently

started.

Dave makesa coachingcomeback

XCLife p12 6/3/13 09:27 Page 1


STAFF at Birmingham,Leicester and Cambridgehave gone to great lengths

to keep the flame burning forpopular Driver Pete Smart,pictured right, who died aged 50.

They have been buying theirold halo lamps so that themoney can be donated to thehospice where Pete was caredfor at the end of his life.

In a second touching mark ofrespect, colleagues have paid fora memorial stone at BirminghamCity FC’s St Andrew’s footballground where the driver was agreat fan.

Pete, who died of lung cancer,started on the railway at Saltleyin 1978 and came toCrossCountry from Central Trainsin December 2007.

Instantly popular, and knownby his nickname of “Smarty,” hemade his mark in the New StreetGolf Society and played CrownGreen Bowls.

“There was great sadnesswhen he died and his colleagueswanted to remember him in aspecial way,” said Sue Le

Vesconte, Team Organiser, whocame up with the idea of buyingthe lamps when they werereplaced with new ones.

She added: “Following hisfuneral a collection was made bystaff so that a stone could belaid at St Andrew’s. The moneyleft over was added to £400from the £5-a-time halo lampdonations and a grand total of£888.25 was presented to theJohn Taylor Hospice where Petewas cared for.”

The cheque was handed overto the hospice by Sue, DriverTeam Manager Alan Archer andDrivers Vince Cunningham andJim Ball.

Also present were Pete’s sonChristopher, his partner Chrisand their daughter Michelle.

MOTORCYCLE adventurerRichard Niven took hismachine to the Alps inmid-winter. He rode alongice-encrusted roads whichwere closed to the generalpublic and climbed highinto mountain passes.

On occasions Edinburghbased Driver Richard –who has previouslytraversed the SouthAfrican Karoo and Northand South America bymotorbike – kept to thesafer routes.

A retired Derby driver inhis nineties has written abook about his life andcareer at Derby Four Shed.

John Weston is theoldest known livingmember of the DerbyASLEF branch. His book,entitled Derby Days:Memories of a MidlandRailwayman, is publishedby Oakwood Press.

It recalls his 40 years ofservice to LMS and itssuccessors, taking in hisjourney from enginecleaner to driver andrecalling the days when thesteam engine was king ofthe line.

PERVEZ Akhtar, BirminghamTrain Manager, gained twoSTARS recently for coming into work at short notice andfor supporting colleagueswhen a fatality occurred.

He has previously receivedan Excellent Service Awardand was commended in apersonal letter by ProfessorDavid Wulstan, of theUniversity of Wales,Aberystwyth, for“exemplary” service infinding and returning moneyhe lost on the train.

Touching tribute inPete’s memory

New bookrecallsDerby days

Accoladesfor Pervez

Adventurein the Alps

DriverTeam Manager

Stewart Marshallwith one of the old

driver’s lamps which werebought by colleagues toraise money for a tribute

in memory of popularDriver Pete

Smart.

EDINBURGH Train Manager Alan Rumble wasgiven a surprise birthday party in a car park atthe start of a mid-winter staff excursion.

Alan was among eight CrossCountryemployees in a party of 16 which climbed outof Peebles in snowy conditions to follow theJohn Buchan Way.

“Somehow the others had found out that itwas my 48th birthday and they suddenlyproduced a special cake at the start of thewalk,” said Alan. “We ate it al fresco in the carpark before setting out.”

Following a route devised by Driver Mark

Gillies, the ramblers covered eight miles androse to a windy and freezing summit beforediverting to the village of Lyne.

Here the walking party, which includedsome friends and a very active elderly dog,joined the Tweed Walk Way which traversespart of an old railway track.

Crossing an old viaduct they went through ahalf-mile long unlit tunnel before coming fullcircle to Peebles. “The views in thesnow-covered landscape were spectacular,”said Alan. “We all wore plenty of layers ofclothes to combat the freezing temperature.”

Surprise birthday party on winter ramble

XCLife p13 6/3/13 09:34 Page 1


My Life

Kevan is a local councillor in his spare time.Here he describes his varied day duringwhich he combines a CrossCountry shiftwith council business.

0540 Kevan leaves home in Westhoughton, atown in the Metropolitan Borough ofBolton, and drives to work.

0600 Kevan works the Birmingham train viaCrewe. He is extra-vigilant on this earlyservice – football fans who missed thetrain the night before are very tired.Some of them don’t have tickets.

0730Arrival at Birmingham where hetakes a one-hour break.

0830 On the train back to Manchester,Kevan finds a laptop and two mobilephones which have been mislaid.He will hand them in to LostProperty at Manchester.

1000 Kevan ends his shift and travelsback home to change and getready for a busy afternoon in hiscivic role. He is one of the Labourcouncillors for WesthoughtonSouth ward and he is chairman ofthe licensing sub-committee at BoltonMetropolitan Borough Council.

1200He attends a meeting to help organise acharity event featuring a model boat. Kevanprovides model boats for display creatingscale models of warships is a hobby (he alsoacts as a marshal at car rallies).

1400Arrives at Bolton Town Hall to meet withcouncil officers in advance of a session of thelicensing sub-committee.

1500Chairs the meeting, which debates a widerange of topics including pub licences,nightclubs and taxi applications. Kevan knowslicensing bye-laws backwards – there’s onearea where you can’t open a chip shop onSunday but you can open a Chinesetake-away selling fish and chips, for example.

1630To the members’ room to catch up on emails.

1700On the way home Kevan does a “street

surgery”– doorknocks in Westhoughton tosee whether residents need his help on localissues.

He takes an interest in making sure thetown gets its fair share of the budget, streetcleanliness, emptying of rubbish bins andeffective traffic management.

1800Back home, after fielding a phonecall from aresident, Kevan calls it a day and gets a goodnight’s sleep before his next CrossCountryshift.

Kevan Jones,Manchester Train Manager

KevanJones

picturedoutside Bolton

Town Hall.

SURMOUNTING the challenges ofice and snow through the winter wasa piece of cake for Driver MarkHeninghen.

He’s had experience of far worseconditions – for 24 years he

was a sub-mariner inthe Royal Navy.

The Leeds employee tells of whenhis submarine came to the surfacewithin yards of the North Pole, andhe played football in the snow withAmerican counterparts.

“The ice near the Pole is aboutthree metres thick and it is possibleto break through,” he said. “It was an

amazing place with temperatures ofaround minus 40.”

Mark added: “This winter I hadicicles forming on the windscreenwipers of my train as I drove throughthe Vale of York, but the conditionsreally didn’t compare with what Iexperienced at the Pole.”

The day Mark played football... at the North Pole!

XCLife p14 6/3/13 09:36 Page 1


Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FOUR prizes including a collector’sitem model are on offer in ourspring wordsearch.

The theme is film stars inHollywood movies, to reflectour story about JoanneLydon and her course whichgives her tips on make-up for

actors. A Bachmann modelof an 00 Gauge Class

220 Voyager inCrossCountry liveryis on offer togetherwith three High Street

vouchers.Entries should arrive

no later than 21 April 2013.Only CrossCountry employees

are eligible to enter.Simply ring the words in the

grid, cut it out and send it withyour name, address and phonenumber to: Kate Barnes,

Employee Engagement Advisor,CrossCountry, 5th Floor, Cannon

House, 18 Priory Queensway,Birmingham B4 6BS.

WIN

OO GAUGE CLASS 220 VOYAGER ■£20 CURRYS/PC WORLD VOUCHER ■£20 VUE CINEMA VOUCHER ■£20 PIZZA HUT VOUCHER ■

THE WINNERS IN LAST ISSUE WERE:Stephen Biddulph – OO Gauge class 220Voyager; Steve Beesley – £20 Pizza Hut Voucher;Paul Boden – £20 Currys/PC World Voucher; andJennifer Greatbatch – £20 Vue Cinema Voucher.

ZETA JONESPATTINSONKNIGHTLEYTRAVOLTAHATHAWAYDICAPRIOWINSLETROBERTSHOPKINSHOFFMANFREEMANCONNERYANISTONTAYLORMURPHYMONROEMIRRENCRUISESMITHJOLIEPITTDEPPLEECRAIGBACONCROWEDE NIRO

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Please indicatethe prize youwould like to winin order ofpreference byputting numbers inthe boxes.

If the top choice is the model train,write 1 in the box. For your secondchoice write 2 etc.

a model Voyager in ourmovie star wordsearch

HUSBAND and wife Peterand Karen Glancy took newjobs with CrossCountry –and found themselvesstarting on the same day!

Karen has been promotedfrom Train Manager toCustomer Service Managerresponsibility for Newcastleand Edinburgh.

When she was finalisingher application online shenoticed a job advert for acleaner at Newcastle, andmentioned it to Peter whohad just retired from his jobin the prison service.

Peter applied, and wassuccessful – and both ofthem were stunned to findthat their dutiescommenced on exactly thesame day, November 27 lastyear.

As Customer ServiceManager, Karen now findsherself boss of her husband.

“Our seven-year-old sonLuke keeps saying – is it trueyou are daddy’s boss?” shesaid.

Karen has been appointedto work alongside existingNewcastle Customer ServiceManager Gill Thomson,because of the swiftexpansion at NewcastleCentre which now has aservice centre.

“I will also be takingresponsibility for the servicecentre at Edinburgh on theretirement of HarryCairney,” she added. “I amsplitting my time three daysat Newcastle and two atEdinburgh.”

Peter Glancy said: “Fifteenyears ago I was a TrainDriver with EWS inEdinburgh, and now after atime in the prison service Iam delighted to be returningto the railways.

“It was completely bychance that Karen saw theadvert, and it’s also amazingthat we ended up startingon the same day.”

In a further irony, Karenfinds herself spending timeas part of her job inScotland – Peter’s birthplace– while Peter is based innorth England.

Mum, is ittrue you’redaddy’snew boss?

XCLife p15 6/3/13 09:51 Page 1

16 XC Life Spring 2013 Published by CrossCountry. Telephone 0121 2006038. [email protected]

IF you have a story for thestaff magazine pleasecontact Ron Quenby on07966 424382 or [email protected]

Call us withyour stories

AMATEUR photographerMark Young has alwaysadmired the crime

writer Ian Rankin. He followsthe adventures of his fictionaldetective Rebus on TV andhas been fascinated to seethe novelist out and about inhis native Edinburgh.

He never imagined that Ianwould one day be on ajudging panel which selectedone of his photographs forinclusion in a book.

Edinburgh Driver Markentered a competition calledCreative Scotland on theblipfoto website where heoften submits examples of hiswork.

The photo he sent was aview of illuminated treestaken at the Enchanted Forestfestival in Pitlochrie which he hadvisited with his wife Sandra, aCrossCountry Retail ServiceManager.

Judging the entries forinclusion in the book were Ian

Rankin and the renownedScottish-born violinist NicolaBenedetti. “I was delighted whenI was informed that my picture ofthe forest had been chosen tofeature in the book, which will beentitled Creative Scotland,” saidMark.

“It was extra-special because Ihave always been a fan of IanRankin. I also like NicolaBenedetti’s music. To take thephoto I did a 30-second exposureto bring out the white LED stripsdown the side of the trees, and Islowly turned the zoom.”

Forest photo winsbook accolade

CROSSCOUNTRY teamedup with colleagues inChiltern Railways to acceptthe British HeartFoundation’s PedometerChallenge.

Members of four teamsfrom each companycovered the equivalentdistance to San Franciscoduring the space of amonth, measuring theirprogress with pedometersalong the way.

The HR team, Ticket toStride, completed1,494,722 steps; theExecutive team, Cheeseand Onion, 1,429,577steps; the Birminghamonboard team, Meals onWheels, 1,416,278 steps;and the Team Organisers,Lost In Pace, 1,109,661steps.

TWO employees at Leedstook part in a month-long“Dryathlon” by going withoutalcohol to raise money forcancer research.

The charity was close tothe heart of Sam Gall,Revenue Protection Inspector,because her mother died ofthe disease last year.

David Smith, Retail ServiceManager, raised a total of£255 thanks to generoussupport from CrossCountrycolleagues.

Four teamscompletecharitychallengeof walkingto SanFrancisco

Abstinencefor charity

MarkYoung out and

about in Edinburghwith his camera. Below,

his Enchanted Forestphotograph which hasbeen published in the

Creative Scotlandbook.

XCLife p16 6/3/13 09:45 Page 1

xc life – spring 2013

Documents

newdivision of db

arriva rail business

db website

deutsche bahnacquired

infrastructure arm of

impact ofjoining db

arriva board member

withthe db chief executive