It was love at first sight for Ben and Lauren Stowers, the now husband and wife who began their railway romance working at Southeastern.
The couple, who have been at the train operating company for more than 30 years between them, first met on shift as train drivers where they helped their passengers reach destinations across London, Kent, and East Sussex. But it was while walking into the train crew area at Dartford station that Lauren and Ben’s eyes first locked.
Thinking back to that moment, Ben reflected: “I’d walked into the mess room moaning and her initial thoughts of me were – he’s so miserable! My first recollection of Lauren was seeing her and thinking she was beautiful. We became firm friends quickly.”
Of the 2,000 trains operating on the network every day, Ben and Lauren caught brief moments together between their departures. The relationship travelled from friendship into romance, and they have been together since 2017.
Though despite becoming official, Ben still found himself nervous speaking to Lauren: “I remember my mouth getting so dry as I couldn’t believe we were an item. I still can’t! I think our colleagues knew we were a couple before even we did, due to our great friendship and the way I looked at her!”
Despite their enthusiasm for their roles, the couple still find ways to separate work from home by keeping train driving talk to a minimum. But Ben admits, as a fellow lover of the railway, he often quizzes Lauren on the latest policies – trying and failing to catch her out thanks to Lauren’s expert knowledge from working at Southeastern’s Slade Green station.
Committed to providing the best service for passengers travelling on the 14th of February, the couple will celebrate this Valentine’s Day apart as Ben heads into Grove Park station for his shift.
Whether it was fate, or the shift schedule that brought them together, Ben credits Southeastern for their whirlwind romance: “The best thing about working for Southeastern for me is that I got to meet Lauren. Cheesy I know, but true.”
Photo credit: Southeastern
