Best mates with 63 years combined service on the railway across the North East all set to hang up their hats

Martin, from Cramlington, is the lead driver team manager at Newcastle station and he and his team, including Wayne, are responsible for line managing over 100 train drivers based in the region.

Martin joined the then British Rail as a trainee in 1985 before going on to become a driver’s assistant. After working across the country, he was hired as driver in 1988 at Blyth Cambois depot, and by 1992 he was working at Newcastle station. He went from driving instructor in 1998, to driver team manager in 2000 before becoming lead driver team manager in 2016.

On his retirement, he will have given 39 years of service – just three years short of the 42 years his dad gave – who encouraged him to join the industry.

Martin said: “It’s a fantastic job – if you don’t mind setting your alarm clock for 3am.”

Wayne, who lives in Hartlepool, started working at the Middlesbrough station booking office in 2001 and progressed to driver at the Darlington depot in one year before becoming a driver instructor in 2006 and driver team manager in 2013, which he held for 13 years. In 2021, he joined the driver team managers at Newcastle station.

Wayne added: “This job has given me so much – when we started planning for the upcoming timetable change, I decided it was the least I could do to help the team. I’ll be joining Martin in the retirement lounge very soon!”

Jason Wade, regional director for Northern in the North East, said: “Martin and Wayne have put in one hell of a shift for the industry – helping hundreds of drivers over the years as they joined the industry, learned the ropes and got customers from A to B.

“The fact that, despite already planning their joint retirement party, Wayne has agreed to stay on for an extra few months to help the team during what is always a busy period – goes to show what sort of guys they are.

“Everyone at Northern in the North East will really miss these guys. We wish them all the best for their retirement.”