Railway Benefit Fund: Bringing the retired rail community together

Industry charity the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) held a Retired Rail Community Event, kindly hosted by Avanti West Coast at their training academy in Crewe.

This event, the first of a new service offering from RBF, provided an opportunity for retired railway people to get together, share stories and look back on their time in rail with their contemporaries.

RBF President Pete Waterman joined to share memories from his time in the industry, and Avanti West Coast provided some facts and figures on the Railway Benefit Fund named Pendolino.

He said: “My first job was in rail so it’s an industry I love and continue to support. Rail has changed enormously in the last 50 years, which is why it is so important to connect with those who share memories from the days gone by.

“Loneliness amongst pensioners has worsened since the pandemic, which is why we are keen to support the retired community and help combat this issue.”

The charity’s research with railway pensioners has highlighted that retirement can often be isolating for railway people, especially at this time of year. Nearly half of all guests at the event noted having experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness in the past 12 months; with many stating that this is due to the number of railway groups that have been forced to close after the pandemic.

One attendee said: “I had been looking forward to this event for weeks and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. It was really comforting to meet with people who spoke my language and could relate to my experiences working in rail. Loneliness is a real issue amongst the retired community, but events such as this help us to get out and about and meet new people.”

RBF says it plans to host more events like this in the future, bringing together retired people in different parts of the country.

To register your interest for a future Retired Rail Community Event, visit the RBF website: https://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/events/retired-rail-community-event/

Photo credit: RBF

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