A retired station announcer has resurrected his railway career for one more day, as part of this year’s Railway 200 celebrations.
Paul Matthews, 82, from Wolverhampton, returned to his home station where he used to announce trains, to fulfil his lifelong passion once more and inspire the next generation of railway staff. As part of Railway 200, Network Rail and West Midlands Railway invited rail-enthusiast Paul back to his old stomping ground to get behind the mic once again, reflect on life as a station announcer, and see what’s changed since he retired in 2010.
To welcome him back, Paul was reunited with former colleagues, explored the recently redeveloped station, and joined forces with current employees to make announcements once again for passengers. After a 30-year career in the civil service, Paul decided it was time to embark on a new journey and follow his dream of working for the railway.
He started working at Wolverhampton station in 2001 at the age of 57, where he enjoyed a variety of roles before retiring at 67. Whilst he loved all of his roles during his time working for the railway, working as a station announcer was his favourite.
Inspiring the next generation of railway employees is one of the main themes of Railway 200, and Paul hopes he can show people that it’s never too late to follow your passions as he urges anyone interested in a career in rail, at whatever stage of life, to go for it! Reflecting on his return to Wolverhampton station, Paul said: “I have really appreciated the opportunity to come back to Wolverhampton station for the day and I enjoyed every minute of it.
“I loved my time working at the station and you can see that everyone here today loves it too." When asked about what advice he would give to people considering a job in the railway, Paul added: “The most important thing in my book is wanting the work and showing a real interest in it.
“The railway really does offer a career for everyone, young or old, and I would recommend it to anyone!" Jack Pickering, who has been leading the Railway 200 celebrations for Network Rail Central route, said: “It’s brilliant that we’ve been able to bring Paul back to the station to help celebrate Railway 200 with us.
“To see and hear the passion he has for the railway is inspiring and I hope it will encourage more people to consider a career in rail." Sam Passmore, customer experience manager for West Midlands Railways, said: “It was a real pleasure to have Paul back at Wolverhampton station, seeing him announcing after so many years.
“He truly is a natural – like he has never been away. Paul was so happy to see some friendly faces from his time here and have a chat with them. It brought back fond memories for us all."
