The experiences of a railway chaplain

The Merseyside Cheshire and North Wales branch of the RCTS were privileged to have Mike Roberts present their Zoom meeting on Monday 20 February.

Originally from Warrington and now based in the Blackburn area, Mike spent 11 years as a local parish priest and has served as a chaplain within the rail industry in the North West since 2018.

Mike gave us a great insight into the unseen work that he and his colleagues do with railway staff and passengers alike. He spends much of his time handling issues that affect staff, and probably the most upsetting part of his work is dealing with the aftermath of suicides on the network and helping those affected to cope with grief and loss.

He tries to organise his week but many of his plans are overtaken by events and he is potentially on call 24 hours a day.

He told us how the Covid pandemic had affected the railway industry and informed us of events planned for 23 March – the anniversary of the first Covid lockdown - when there will be a commemoration service at the National Railway Museum in York and other simultaneous events around the country to allow people to reflect on the losses we have suffered and to acknowledge the service and dedication of railway staff throughout the pandemic. More information can be found at www.railwaymission.org.