xc life – winter 2012

The magazine for CrossCountry peopleXCLifeWinter 2012

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XCLife p1 29/11/12 16:26

Five star accolade isgreat way to markfive year milestone

2 XC Life Winter 2012

EVERYBODY appreciates being recognised fortheir achievements. Recognition by colleaguesand peers often reflects the development of abit of “best practice” and also gives that nicewarm feeling of being a winner! In truth, wehave probably not had the luck I think wedeserve when submitting one or two projectsfor ‘rail industry awards’ – too many secondprizes – but we are going to redouble ourefforts in 2013.

However, as you will know, the milestone ofour fifth franchise birthday in November wasrapidly followed by an exceptional award fromthe British Quality Foundation. This isrecognition for everybody at CrossCountry, andfor the business as a whole, for “coming up toscratch” against a Europe-wide measure ofbusiness excellence. Being “Recognised forExcellence” at the “five star” level at the firsttime of asking is a magnificent achievement.

The examination of CrossCountry by theEFQM assessors is very thorough. We had tosubmit written evidence describing how wework, showing how it reflects their model ofbusiness excellence. Then they came to see forthemselves, interviewing many people toconfirm that what we said was what we did.Then they asked us to arrange some focusgroups, to provoke wider discussion across thebusiness to see how far the word had spread.

They saw what we hoped they would see.Committed, passionate, professional peoplewho make CrossCountry what it is today. Justas it is for our customers, so it was for theassessors. What is memorable is contact withour people. What makes the difference is theapproach taken by our people. What sets usapart are our people and the standards ofservice they deliver. So thanks again, to each ofyou for the good work that you do, whichenabled us to tell the story that isCrossCountry; and to those of you who met theassessors, and brought that story to life.

We will be assessed again in 2014, by whichtime we plan to have worked on the “areas forimprovement” which will be part of theassessors’ final report. This will leave us in astrong position as we look to the next franchiseterm.

You will have spotted that the Government’sfranchising programme is in some turmoil justnow. When the dust settles, you can be surethat whatever the chosen way forward, being abusiness “Recognised for Excellence” will helpus win through – and that is important if wewant to continue to have the opportunity todetermine our future.

So five years and five stars. Not a bad way toend the year. However you are celebratingChristmas and the New Year, I hope you andyour family and friends have an enjoyable time.Thanks again for your hard work in 2012.

by Andy CooperMANAGING DIRECTOR,CROSSCOUNTRY

THE government haslaunched a campaignabout a new law designedto help people in the UKsave more for theirretirement.

To meet theGovernment’s newstandards all UKcompanies have to enroleligible employees into aworkplace pension, ifthey are not already inone.

Arriva is taking actionso that we are ready to

meet these newgovernment standardsfrom May 2013. Nearerthe time, the companywill be writing to you toexplain what the newlegislation might meanto you, especially if youdo not currently have aworkplace pension.

Look out for furtherdetails on staffnoticeboards, the intranetand newsletters over thecoming months. Forgeneral information on

workplace pensions visitwww.direct.gov.uk/workplacepensions

● Pictured above is aposter promoting thepension campaign.

WENDY Booth is always ready tohelp people with disabilities –and it certainly showed when a

deaf man needed advice on her train.The Birmingham Train Manager was

working the York-Doncaster service whenthe train in front failed.

It meant her train had to reverse andgo straight to Sheffield, missing outDoncaster – causing a profoundly deafman on board to get worried. He tuggedon Wendy’s arm as she went through thecarriage, signalling that he was confused.

Wendy wrote down on a piece of paperthat the train was having to go

backwards. She also explained in writingthat the route was being changed.

Then later she went back and wrotedown more information, telling the mannot to worry and explaining how he couldmake his connections once he had arrivedat Sheffield. The customer was so gratefulthat he sent a message of praise forinclusion in the Metro newspaper that iscirculated on the railway.

Wendy said: “I always said I would havedone volunteering in the community if Ididn’t work on the trains. I was glad tohelp the customer – but I was only doing my job.”

Special help fordeaf customer

Wendy Booth withthe CrossCountry

Star Certificate shewas awarded for herattentive service for

a deaf customer.

Set to meet workplacePENSION STANDARDS

XCLife p2 29/11/12 16:45 Page 1

RACHEL Belton loves theBluebell Steam Railway somuch she decided to get

married there. The Bristol Driverbecame the ultimate railway bride– married on a heritage railway, ina former station waiting room, toa train driver.

Rachel and husband Paul hadtheir ceremony at HorsteadKeynes on the preserved line inSussex and then took afternoontea in one of the carriages whichhad been set aside for theoccasion.

In celebration of their union,loco 1638 on the line had beenrenamed Rach and Paul’s WeddingBelle.

“We chose the Bluebell Railwaybecause Paul volunteered therewhen he was younger and with usbeing train drivers we thoughtnothing could be nicer,” saidRachel, whose dad is a retiredCrossCountry Leeds driver andwhose husband works for FirstGreat Western.

“We both come from Sussexand we love the Bluebell. We hadan amazing day with 20 closefamily and friends. Our

seven-month-old daughter Rosiewas our bridesmaid and sleptthrough the whole ceremony.”

To make the day extra-special,the crew invited the happy couplefor a footplate ride.

Rachel and Paul had a cast-ironheadboard made for the loco – itis now proudly mounted on theirliving room wall.

Their reception was inEastbourne, with friends includingseveral members of Bristoltraincrew partying into the night.

In a final trackside flourish, thephotography at the wedding washandled by PlymouthCrossCountry Driver ChrisHopkins.

Rachel said: “We asked Chris todo the photos because we knewhe would do an amazing job. Herecently won the Arrivaphotography competition and Iwould recommend people to visithis website atwww.chrishopkinsimages.com.”

XC Life Winter 2012 3

Praise forDriver’sactionsBIRMINGHAM DriverJonners Dawson has beenpraised for going to theassistance of a passengerwho was in anaphylacticshock.

While travelling on aLondon Midland trainfrom Birmingham toBromsgrove he becameaware that the man wasin trouble.

“He was sweating andpassing in and out ofconsciousness,” saidJonners. “He had told meearlier he was a radioproducer on the way towork.”

Jonners made sure theemergency services werecontacted and then keptthe passenger talkinguntil the paramedicsarrived.

He was nominated inthe RailStaff awards forhis praiseworthy action.

Railway bride Rachel Beltonwith her husband Paul ontheir wedding day by theloco renamed Rach andPaul’s Wedding Belle.

All board for aSTEAM-POWERED

wedding

� Rachel and Paul at Horstead Keynesheritage station where their weddingceremony took place in the waiting room.

XCLife p3 29/11/12 16:31 Page 1

XC Life focuses on Leicester Centre from where the company operates relative


AT the centre of the Leicesteroperation are Chris Hill andJanette Bradbury. Driver TeamManager Chris has been onthe railways since 1978,always in a driving grade.

His first managerial role wason the freight side in 1990. Hehas been Driver Team Managerfor CrossCountry since thestart of the franchise.

“My role includes carryingout assessments of drivers andkeeping everybody up toscratch with theircompetencies,” he said.

“We are a steady group,with our fair share ofcharacters, and many of ushave been here since I startedat Leicester.”

Aged 52, Chris lives inChilwell with his wife and twodaughters aged 18 and 13.

His spare time is taken upwith looking after twoClydesdale horses which are

ridden by the girls and kept instables in Cossall.

Customer Service ManagerJanette Bradbury has been inpost since she moved eastfrom her previous base atManchester at the end oflast year. Aged 42,she lives with herson and boyfriend inCambridge.

Janette sees herrole as “being there forthe staff, supportingand guiding them.”She added: “The staff atLeicester have a greatsense of humour and arevery friendly, warm andwelcoming.”

Janette’s spare timeinterests are socialising,since her friends play a very important role in her life, and spendingtime with herlittle boy.

STAYING focused is the mainpriority for Leicester DriverTony Rimington, pictured right.

Based at the centre since2002, Leicester-born Tonydrives Leicester-Birmingham,Leicester-Nottingham,Nottingham-Birmingham,Birmingham-Tyseley and onthe Sheet Stores-Stensonbranch line.

He said: “As we only have afew routes at Leicester, the keychallenge is to stay focused onthe routes that are veryfamiliar to us. It is also vital tokeep up the professionalstandard that is expected ofus.”

Tony, who lives in theKnighton/Wigston area,believes the relative smallnessof Leicester Centre is astrength – most of the staffget on well in and out of work.

“The most unusual – andpotentially embarrassing –

thing that’shappened to me atwork occurred when Iwas working at Bedford depotfor another train operatingcompany,” he said.

“After I had taken aneight-car unit to the carriagesidings for cleaning, I stood onthe platform and pressed adoor-close button at thecentre of the train.

“As I walked backwards to

make sure the train was clearI fell into a massiveflowerpot on the platformand became wedged!

“Only after struggling forwhat seemed to be aneternity did I emergebattered and bruised – luckilywithout anyone havingwitnessed my predicament.”

A ‘fair share’of characters

An exteriorview ofLeicesterstation.

Revenue Protection Inspector SeanDeacon takes a break in the messroom.

SeniorConductor

Darren Deaconbooks on at

LeicesterCentre.

Challenge to stayfocused on routes that arevery familiar

XCLife p4-5 30/11/12 09:20 Page 1

■ Leicester was one ofthe first cities to beserved by a railway(1832).

■ Leicester used to haveseven stations.

■ The clock on thestation is the onlyhand-wound stationclock in the UK.

■ The original CampbellStreet Station was thestarting point of the first

excursions by ThomasCook. His statue is 100metres west of thepresent station.

■ The railway throughLeicester is notelectrified so all servicesare diesel.

■ The station has hadfour names – Leicester,Leicester CampbellStreet, Leicester LondonRoad and then Leicesteragain (1969).

Leicester FACTFILE:


ively few routes but which are of strategic importance to the UK rail network

Station is interchange pointfor key UK rail routesLEICESTER is a vital hub on

the CrossCountry network,acting as an interchange

point on the route fromBirmingham to Cambridge andStansted Airport.

Traincrew play a key part in thehourly service on this route,running the trains betweenBirmingham and Leicester.

They also staff services on theBirmingham-Derby-Nottinghamroute and run empty stock fromLeicester and to Nottingham inthe mornings, returning empty atthe end of the day.

CrossCountry runs two trainseach way to and fromBirmingham per hour on theBirmingham-Stansted route.

Leicester Traincrew Centre wasestablished in 2002 by CentralTrains, and CrossCountryinherited the accommodation fiveyears ago.

CrossCountry trains, which areall Class 170s on this route,depart from all platforms atLeicester. Other services are runby East Midlands Trains.

Due to a 15 mph maximumspeed limit to the south of thestation, all passenger trains stopat the station.

Chris Hill, Driver TeamManager, said: “Challenges for

drivers out of Leicester includethe high volume of freight trainson the lines, and considerableseasonal leaf fall on rail headsites towards Nuneaton.”

The staff at Leicester include27 drivers, 24 senior conductorsand two revenue protectioninspectors. The RPIs are highlyflexible across the network – for

example during theCheltenham Races they areput up at hotels for theduration.

Facilities at the centre includea messroom, booking on pointand a management office used byChris Hill and Janette Bradbury.

The centre, which is on one ofthe two island platforms at thestation, also has use of a briefing room on the other sideof the tracks.

Senior Conductor Peter Sawbridgechecks out the staff notice boards.

m.

CustomerService Manager

Janette Bradbury andDriver Team Manager

Chris Hill pictured on aplatform at Leicester

station.

XCLife p4-5 30/11/12 09:21 Page 2

’’

‘‘


Iwas born in a maternity hospital in KirbyMuxloe and have spent most of my life in Leicester so I regard myself as a

born-and-bred son of the city.As a youngster I was sports-mad and I

represented my school at rugby, football and cricket.

The wide variety of top-quality sport is oneof the great things about Leicester.

I have been a lifetime member of theLeicester Tigers rugby union club since the ageof eight, but my real love is LeicestershireCounty Cricket Club.

The greatest-ever cricketer I have seen is PhilSimmons, the West Indian all-rounder whoplayed for the side in the 1990s. I rememberhim hitting the ball out of the ground and intothe car park of a nearby factory, during amatch against Middlesex.

Not only was he a wonderful cricketer butalso a real gentleman and when he returned acouple of years ago he received a hero’swelcome.

The Leicester market is 700 years old and

Europe’s largest covered market. Gary Lineker’sfamily runs a market stall.

The city features plenty of new shoppingfacilities including Highcross centre, and thehistoric Leicester Lanes are good forindependent boutiques, antique shops andcafes.

One of my favourite places to visit is theNational Space Centre, next to the River Soaron the A6, which combines exhibits with visitor activities. There’s even a Soyuzspacecraft on show.

The city has produced many famous namesincluding Engelbert Humperdinck, whoseRolls-Royce I have often seen out and about,snooker players Willie Thorne and the currentworld number one Mark Selby and the popgroup Showaddywaddy. My dad, a post officetelephone engineer, used to work with singerDave Bartram.

For history buffs, a visit to the NewarkeHouses Museum is a must, if only to learnabout the18th Century’s Daniel Lambert,Britain’s fattest man at almost 53 stones.

As a supplement to the XC Life focus on Leicester on the previouspages, Senior Conductor LEIGH MOORE tells us why he loves thecity in which he was born and bred.

CHRIS Koscianski has a ringsideseat on Bonfire Night. He helps out

at a fireworks company in hisspare time and sets up keyelements of the light show.

The Reading Train Manager ispart of a six-strong team whichvisits venues such as privateschools to put on shows.

“I specialise in setting upfireworks which give a bit ofdrama, such as Roman Candlesand mortars,” he said. “I can’tstand Catherine Wheels – theynever seem to work!”

Howard Corrie, Service Centreteam member at Reading, is

also a member of the team,helping out with the logistics.

JAMES Mountcastle has beenpraised for his action in dealingwith a carriage door that hadfallen on to the track. NetworkRail has commended theBirmingham Driver’s quickthinking response whichensured the safety hazard wasefficiently removed.

Quick thinking

Tour to UK’sonly thatchedbrewery

Chris createspyrotechnics

Leigh Moorepictured outside

the NationalSpace Centre at

Leicester.

Great sporting citywith historic Lanes

THE only thatchedbrewery in Britainwas the destinationfor the latest Lofty’sTour. Mark Appleton,Derby Driver,arranged the visitfor three employeesfrom Birminghamwho are regular participants on thesight-seeing tours that he arranges.

Driver Paul Bridges together withTrain Managers Nicola Prestage andAlan Clements enjoyed thehospitality at Palmers Brewery inBridport, Dorset.

The picturesque venue dating from1794 is partially thatched and alsosports a non-working waterwheel onits side. “The night before we stayedin a bed and breakfast in Lyme Regisbefore heading east along the bay,”said Mark.

“The brewery gave us an extremelyinformative tour followed by thechance to sample their Traditional IPA and the slightly stronger Palmers Two Hundred beer.”

XCLife p6 29/11/12 16:34 Page 1

IT was all in a day’s work for Barry Kellywhen he went the extra mile to make sure acustomer had his cup of coffee.The Birmingham Senior Conductor was simply

displaying the professionalism for which he hasbecome well-known over the years.

He never expected to receive a glowingtestimonial, in beautifully-written language,showcasing his value as a model employee.

But it’s no surprise the phrasing in the letter ofpraise is perfect – the passenger for whom Barrydid his good turn was Julian Bion, Professor ofIntensive Care Medicine at the University ofBirmingham.

“It’s a really flattering and extremelywell-written letter,” said Barry. “I was subsequentlynominated for a customer service award at theRailStaff Awards.”

Barry was working the 0830 Birmingham toNewport train when the Professor asked him ifthere were any refreshments and said he could dowith a coffee.

The Senior Conductor informed him that therewas no trolley – but when the train reachedCheltenham Barry nipped on to the platform andpurchased a fresh coffee at the station café out ofhis own pocket. In his 250-word letter, ProfessorBion said the Senior Conductor was an“exceptional role model” and added that he had“single-handedly done much to restore myconfidence in the service.”

He outlined how Barry was “doing his job to ahigh level of excellence and customersatisfaction.” He said he was observant andattentive, clearing luggage which was partiallyobstructing one of the exits, and generally helpingcustomers board the train.

In a final flourish, the Professor said that whenBarry retired (he is currently aged 60 and has beenon the railways since 1977) he should be kept onas a teacher of new staff “particularly in terms ofcombining customer service with vigilance tosafety and efficiency.”


PERIOD 5(four weeks to 18/8/12)

PERFORMANCE: 88.1%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 50.5%, XC 11.3%,other train operators 38.3%

PERCENTAGE OVER TARGET:25.5%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:88.7%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:

Class 170 – 19,030(yearly average 18,128: +4.72%year-on-year)

Class 220 – 40,258(yearly average 46,450: -2.8%year-on-year)


HST – 16,481(yearly average 22,917: +18.68%year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:-0.43% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£12.39 (+6.8% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

75.2% (-1.7% on last year)

BusinessSTATS

A total of seven people have recently flown infrom the airline industry to join CrossCountryat Manchester. It’s the biggest single intake ofstaff at one centre from the airlines but itmarks a definite trend.

A growing number of former air workers areseeking to stay within customer service in thetransport sector but at the same time seekingadded job security.

“A number of smaller charter airlines havenot survived the current economic climate andthere’s a marked movement of staff on to therailways,” said Train Manager Ross Sleath, whowas with Globespan.

“It’s the same kind of frontline customerservices job although you have moreindependence of movement on the trains.

“I am really enjoying the challenges ofgiving people great journeys as they movearound our network.”

Other former airline workers at Manchesterare Retail Service Manager Emma Beaumont,Train Manager Gareth Blevins, Retail ServiceManagers Emma Benson, Mark Collins, NicolaCoster and Katie Parkinson. They previouslyworked with companies such as Viking,Bmibaby, Ryanair and Air Atlanta.

Emma Beaumont said: “There are healthbenefits from joining the railways becausewith flying there’s a risk of getting cramp.

“The customer service element is similar – both jobs involve working a trolley – but the job climate is more stable in the railway industry.”

Seven airline workers come into land at Manchester Centre

Prof’s cuprunneth overwith

EXCEPTIONALROLE MODEL:

Barry Kellypictured at NewStreet station,Birmingham.

XCLife p7 29/11/12 16:58 Page 1


GRATITUDE and nostalgiawere on the menu at twolunchtime celebrations

held to mark CrossCountryemployees’ long serviceachievement and retirements.

A total of 24 people from allfrontline grades, along with theirpartners, were invited to attend theoccasions at the Radisson Blu hotel,just a quarter of a mile fromBirmingham New Street station.

Managing Director Andy Cooper,along with several other seniormanagers, hosted the events andjoined in the celebrationsexchanging memories, anecdotesand stories from the past. More than500 years of dedication andcommitment were honoured.

Greeting people for the receptiondrinks were Regional CustomerService Manager Mark Thomson,Head of Drivers Andy Oakey, Headof Human Resources DavidBarraclough, Production DirectorHelen Waters, Human ResourcesDirector Maria Zywica and Head ofCatering Andrew Marsh.

Those present stepped up later toreceive certificates to mark 25years, 40 years or retirement, whilewives and partners were presentedwith bouquets.

After a three-course meal, AndyCooper thanked everyone for theircommitment and enthusiasm to theindustry and for undertaking theshifts and weekend working patternsrequired in running a railway.

He also thanked the wives,husbands and partners for theircommitment and forbearance in

helping to meet the daily schedulesby supporting spouses with cuttingand packing the sandwiches neededto sustain them.

Emily Pearson, EmployeeRelations Assistant, who organisesthe regular awards events, said: “Itwas great to see these individualscome together to celebrate theirjourney with CrossCountry and therail industry.

“It was a pleasure to meet thosewho have dedicated themselves totheir jobs over the years.”

At the close of the proceedingshopes were expressed that all thoseretiring would pop into depots andcentres from time to time to keep in touch.

Salute to over years’ service

as employees are honoured

Managing Director Andy Cooper with employees feted at the first luncheon.

Diners take their seats at the lunchtimecelebration at the Radisson Blu hotel.

Guests meet and chat ata pre-lunch reception.

Andy Cooper presentsa retirement award to

Birmingham DriverMichael Farkas.

The certificates ofhonour lined upbefore thepresentationswere underway.

Andy Cooper with employees honoured at the second ceremony.

Leicester Driver SteveCave receives his

retirement certificatewith his wife Moira

looking on.

CambridgeSenior

ConductorAndrew Hay ispresented his

retirementcertificate.

ManchesterTrain ManagerKeith Nicholls

receives acertificate to

mark his 25years’ service.

THOSE who attended the longservice lunches were:

Birmingham Train ManagerMalcolm Wareham –Retirement; Birmingham DriverColin Bayliss – Retirement;Birmingham Driver Ray Willcock– Retirement; Birmingham DriverMichael Knowles – Retirement;Birmingham Driver AlanRoberts – Retirement;Birmingham Driver StuartHowells – Retirement; LeicesterDriver Steve Cave – Retirement;Birmingham Driver MichaelFarkas – Retirement; NewcastleTrain Manager David Colling –Retirement; Birmingham DriverStephen James – Retirement;Cambridge Senior ConductorBarrie Hough – Retirement;Bristol Train Manager DavidSlocombe – Retirement;Birmingham Driver DerekSharpe – Retirement;Birmingham Driver AlanTregenna – Retirement;Cambridge Senior ConductorAndrew Hay – Retirement;Birmingham Driver Gary Beeley– 40 Years; Birmingham DriverLeroy Richards – 40 Years;Bristol Train Manager SteveHudson – 25 Years; RosterManager Trudie Gandy – 25Years; Plymouth Train ManagerAdrian Compton – 25 Years;Route Controller Andrew Fudge– 25 Years; Timetable ProductionManager Jack Bansal – 25 Years;Birmingham Driver DarrenChiles – 25 years; andManchester Train Manager KeithNicholls – 25 Years.

Long serversrecognised


XCLife p8-9 30/11/12 09:40 Page 1


A month-long moustache-athonraised eyebrows at the ServiceCentre in Birmingham.

Members of staff ran a friendlycompetition to produce the funniest– and longest – moustache by theend of November.

They were inspired by theannual charity event

called Movemberwhere people growfacial hair to raisefunds and awareness

for men’s healthespecially prostate and

testicular cancer.“We thought it would be a bit of a

laugh and one of the supervisorseven aimed for a handlebar style,”said Service Centre Team MemberLuke Swingle. “It has to be said thatsome of the younger staff hadproblems getting their moustachesstarted!”

ALL CrossCountry employees are eligible tobecome members of the TransportBenevolent Fund. The fund exists solely forpublic transport workers and their immediatefamilies and there are nearly 40,000contributing members throughout the publictransport industry.

Membership costs just £1 a week and thatcovers the employee, partner and dependentchildren. The fund is a Registered Charity

(1058032 in England and Wales, SC040013in Scotland). Members are eligible for a widerange of help, including cash in the event ofunforeseen financial difficulty.

Assistance is also given with convalescenceand recuperation, prescription season tickets,legal help (but not on employment matters),medical equipment, scans and tests wherethe NHS cannot provide these quickly,welfare advice, debt advice and bereavement

grants. All the TBF trustees work in theindustry, and they decide on all benefits.

Director Chris Godbold said: “We arehelping quite a few CrossCountry employeesat any time, but we could be helping a lotmore.”

There are TBF brochures at many locations,but they can be obtained by going to thewebsite at www.tbf.org.uk or by calling0300 333 2000.

JUGGLING fire is child’splay for Skylar Whiting.She can be found at

music festivals practisingthe art of Fire Poi for theentertainment ofyoungsters.

The Reading Retail ServiceManager is an enthusiast of theMaori art of spinning tetheredweights in rhythmical patterns.

When fitted with kevlar wickssoaked in paraffin, the weightsbecome swirling balls of fire.

Skylar learned the techniquefrom her friends at Big Top Maniawho arrange circus events.

“I help out when festivalscome round,” she said. “I go inthe children’s play area and I

teach youngsters how to juggleand spin plates, as well asshowing them beginner’s Poiusing soft materials such as socksweighted with toys or jugglingballs.”

Guilfest at Guildford, Bestivaland Camp Bestival have beenamong Skylar’s favourite venues.

Skylar loves the festivalatmosphere and says it remindsher of the freewheelingatmosphere of her father’slifestyle.

He lives on a narrowboat and Skylar oftenvisits to sit by a campfire by the waterside,while guitars arestrummed.

Benevolent fund gives vital support in difficult times

COVE

R ST

ORY

Fire swirling isMA RI ART

MOUSTACHE MISHMASH: Movember competition contestants at Birmingham are, left to right,Service Centre Team Members Luke Swingle, Jame Tsua, Addisu Asfaw and Stephen Wood.

Hair-raising contest to grow a moustache

SkylarWhiting

demonstratesthe Maori art of

swirling ballsof fire.

XCLife p10 29/11/12 17:06 Page 1


PERFORMANCE: 90.3%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 59.6%, XC 11.4%,other train operators 29%

PERCENTAGE OVER TARGET:7.8%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:88.8%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:




HST – 24,551(yearly average 22,383: +12.05% year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+2% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£12.65 (+5.2% on last year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted78% (+3.5% on last year)

BusinessSTATS


TWO CrossCountry employees are both makinga big impact with their inspiring projects tobring water to underprivileged communities in

Africa. Malcolm Seymour, Plymouth Train Manager,has made a new visit to Bombolulu in Kenya to seethe results of his fundraising.

The base of a water tower has now beencompleted and the second stage of the project, thebuilding of a water tank, is about to begin.Malcolm’s charitable work centres around Mwokeonischool in the village where poverty is widespread.

Meanwhile Bournemouth Train Manager EddieMartin has so far raised money for 20 wells inBurkina Faso and a further three are planned before

the end of the year. Eddie has been selected as afinalist in the DB Awards in Hamburg on 13December. He was nominated for the awards byCustomer Service Director Jeremy Higgins, with hisname going forward to join those of employeesfrom countries around the world including USA,South Korea and Egypt.

Eddie, who lost his first wife in a road accident in2005, initially decided to dig a well in the village ofZongo in her memory, but has since raised £140,000for his Myra’s Wells project, a registered charity.

Eddie realised that people were having to hikefour miles to get clean water and set up his websiteat www.myraswells.btck.co.uk to raise awareness.

SIX Manchester-based drivers made two visitsto pay their respects at the battlefields of theFirst World War.

Led by Colin Allsobrook, they attended acommemoration ceremony and enrolled on atour entitled All Quiet on the Western Front.

The group learned about the horrors of theconflict during the battles of the Somme andPasschendaele.

Colin said: “I feel we owe it ourselves and tothe soldiers who died to go out to the fields ofBelgium and Northern France to see exactlywhat they were fighting for.”

In their first trip the drivers went to Ypres andexperienced the ceremony at the Menin GateMemorial to the Missing. On a second

excursion they visited the war gravesand cemeteries of the First World Warbattlefields at the Somme.

Taking part were Colin and DriverSteve Biddulph, retired CrossCountryDrivers Mike Hart and Robert Pollard,and two West Coast drivers. “Therewas no family in England that was nottouched by the First World War,” saidColin, whose uncle was captured at thebattle of Mons but went on to fight atPasschendaele.

“We realised as we went on the tour what aterrible waste of life occurred. We were evengiven horrific details of how many men werekilled per square foot.”

WATERTOWER PLANfor Kenyan village

Drivers pay respects to the fallen of FirstWorld War at Somme and Passchendaele

Malcolm Seymour discusses the water tower project at

Bombolulu village with JohnOondo, Head Teacher of the

local children’s centre andprimary school. Inset above,

an artist’s impression of whatthe water tower will look like.

XCLife p11 29/11/12 16:53 Page 1


Mince Pies

INGREDIENTS:1lb plain flour8oz margarine or Utterly Butterly 4oz icing sugar 2oz ground almonds 1 egg yolk 1 tsp of almond essence Cold water1 jar of traditional mince meat

METHOD

Place the flour, icing sugarand ground almonds in abowl then add themargarine. Blend with yourhands until it looks likebreadcrumbs.Make a hole in the centre ofthe mixture and add the eggyolk together with thealmond essence.Bind together then addenough water until you havea soft dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for about halfhour in the fridge.

Heat your oven ready to 180 degrees

Take your pastry out and cutinto two pieces. Roll outyour first piece and cut 12rounds for your bases foryour pies, then roll out thesecond piece and cut outyour lids.Place the rounds for yourbases in your tart tray thenadd your mincemeat.Egg-wash round the edge ofthe tarts. Place the lids ontop, then egg-wash the lids.

Place in the oven for 20minutes then take out anddust with icing sugar. Servewith whipped cream orbrandy butter.

Have a lovely Christmaseveryone. Jules x

1

2

4

3


PERFORMANCE: 88.9%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 63.9%, XC 9.4%,other train operators 26.8%

PERCENTAGE UNDER TARGET:0.1%

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR: 88.9%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTS:Class 170 – 15,420(yearly average18,829: +13.12%year-on-year)



HST – 30,218(yearly average 22,961: +12.45%year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+6% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£12.47 (+6% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

75.4% (+1.7% on last year)

BusinessSTATS

Right RoyalRecipes

CrossCountry’s veryown Royal chef JulesBacon, who wasonce cook to theQueen Mother atthe Royal Lodge,offers a recipe for amouth-wateringChristmas treat.

Acake sale was held atCannon House to raisemoney for charity in

memory of the wife offormer CrossCountryFinance DirectorRichard Harrison.

Paula Harrisonwas only 41 whenshe passed away inSeptember fromAmyloidosis. Two trollieswere taken around the variousdepartments in the buildingladen with a variety of

homemade and shop-boughtcakes. More than £300 wasraised for the AmyloidosisResearch Fund and Managing

Director Andy Cooper hasagreed that the companywill match the totaldonated.

Victoria Green, AssistantFinance Manager at Cannon

House, who organised theevent, said: “I would like tothank everyone who brought incakes and made donations. Welldone Cannon House!”

CROSSCOUNTRY staff are now able to enjoy reciprocaltravel arrangements on the Tyne and Wear Metro.Employees will receive standard class leisure travel byusing existing staff travel passes. At the same time, Tyneand Wear Metro employees, their eligible partners anddependants will be issued with passes for standard classleisure travel on CrossCountry services. Travel will not beavailable on trains restricted for privileged travel.

Travel pass for Metro

THEGREAT CANNON

HOUSE CAKE SALE:pictured with their trollies

laden with homemade cakesare, left to right, Finance

Manager Kiran Thaker, AssistantFinance Manager Victoria Green,

Finance Assistant FayonaMesquitto and HR andPurchasing Assistant

Emily Pearson.

TASTY CAKEYfundraiser

XCLife p12 29/11/12 16:50 Page 1


A warm welcome tothe following who haverecently joined thecompany:

Eva Oralkova,Bournemouth RetailService Manager; MarkCollings, Manchester RetailService Manager; EmmaBeaumont, ManchesterRetail Service Manager;Dave Dolan, CambridgeDriver; Andy Smith,Newcastle Service CentreTeam Member; DebraWilson, Plymouth RetailService Manager; PaulGarrett, BournemouthDriver; Becky Parker,Graduate ManagementTrainee; Darren Pollin,Plymouth Driver; JamesMeek, Fleet Engineer;Tamsin Cloke, AutumnController; Lee Haslam,Birmingham Service CentreTeam Member; AndrewFarmer, BirminghamService Centre TeamMember; Sigita Skiedraite,Traincrew Payroll Manager;Keith Pagett, BirminghamDriver; Shafiq Hussain,Birmingham Driver; IanLott, Leicester SeniorConductor; Craig Fox,Leicester Senior Conductor;Matthew Twist,Manchester Driver; BrettDenley, Cambridge SeniorConductor; Nigel Holden,Leicester Senior Conductor;Richard Watson,Newcastle Retail ServiceManager; MarkStephenson, NewcastleRetail Service Manager;Michael Lawrie, EdinburghRetail Service Manager;Matt Thomson, EdinburghRetail Service Manager;Mark Phillpot, CambridgeDriver; Jonathan Watts,Birmingham Retail ServiceManager; Michael Bates,Newcastle First Class Host;Jasmine Lazenby,Newcastle First Class Host;Christopher Mackenzie,Birmingham Driver;Michael Wallis, TrainPlanning.

Congratulations to thefollowing who havereceived long serviceawards:

Paul Hudson,Bournemouth DriverInstructor; Gurdial Singh,

Birmingham Train Manager.

Anthony Byrne,Birmingham Catering CrewController; John Pritchett,Plymouth Driver; AnthonyTice, Leeds Train Manager;Stuart Matthews, BristolDriver; Andrew Faulkner,Rostering Manager;Stephen Hancock,Birmingham SeniorConductor.

Stephen Horton,Plymouth Driver; GregoryJohnson, BirminghamDriver; John Davis,Cambridge SeniorConductor; GurdeepMehat, Birmingham TrainManager; Simon Nicholls,Birmingham Train Manager;Samantha Kot, BristolSenior Conductor; RobertBromwich, Yield Analyst;Craig Carey, PlymouthService Centre TeamMember; Mary Togher,Safety CommunicationsManager; Graham Burden,Call Centre Consultant;Joshua Mackie, BristolRetail Service Manager;Mike Coles, Plymouth TrainManager; John Fenwick,Newcastle Train Manager;Kath Lemm, Admin Co-ordinator, BirminghamCleaners; Del Deans,Admin Co-ordinator,Birmingham Cleaners;Michael Flynn, LeicesterDriver; Ian Pickering,Leicester Driver; RichardHarris, Passenger RevenueAssistant; Katie North,Revenue Protection Officer;David Lawrie, EdinburghDriver; Robert Shrives,Route Controller South;Brian Macmillan,Edinburgh Train Manager;Wendy Booth, BirminghamTrain Manager; LeonWilson, Birmingham RetailService Manager; StevenRobinson, Edinburgh RetailService Manager; JohnWright, Birmingham TrainManager; Richard Ellis-Edwards, Voyager and HSTFleet Contract Manager;Sarah Lea, RouteController North-East;Jennifer Donnelly,Plymouth First Class Host;Jonathan Easter,Newcastle Train Manager;Mark Swinden, BusinessSupport Analyst.

10 YEARS

25 YEARS

40 YEARS

New starters &long service

RAJA Amin MBE is leading fromthe front in his role as acommunity leader. The

Birmingham Train Manager has beenrecognised nationally for hispioneering work to regenerate theBalsall Heath area of his city.

To keep up the momentum he isgoing out once a week on to thestreets himself to liaise withneighbourhood wardens in tackling awide range of issues.

In the past Raja led a campaigngroup to rid the suburb of antisocialproblems. He is currently chairman of

a police task force and a Streetwatchinitiative.

“A recent national report hashighlighted Balsall Heath as a shiningexample of a community workingtogether,” said Raja, who is a seniorunion official at CrossCountry.

“In the past we had problems withprostitution in our area, but nowmost of the nuisance is caused byantisocial behaviour from youngsters.

“By being out there on the streetswe can talk to them and move themon. We also tackle any problems ofrubbish that arise.”

Leading role inCOMMUNITY

AN alert went round 10 heavy metal enthusiasts inBristol when news broke that Doro Pesch was onher way to England. The German singer isconsidered by many to be the best live singer ofhard rock and her appearances in Britain are highly prized.

The first to find out that she was heading for the live music venue The Fleece in Bristol was JohnGriffiths, Retail Service Manager. “I sent a quickmessage to all my colleagues who like heavymetal,” he said. “Doro is a very talented lady andit was vital we booked as soon as possible.”

John and his friends, who include TrainManager Dave Nicholls, Train Manager KenCooper and Driver Paul Turner, travel together to heavy rock concerts around the UK.

Heavy metal fans ON ALERT

� Raja Amin looks at photoshighlighting his communitywork and, inset, Raja picturedat Buckingham Palace on theday he received his MBE.

XCLife p13 29/11/12 17:33 Page 1


A

At the moment I am…

training to be a Train Manager – I feel that myskills and knowledge are vastly improving. Iam excited to gain greater responsibilities inmy new role as the first Czech-speaking TrainManager in CrossCountry. I think thecompany demonstrates that everyone has thesame opportunity to get a job if they workhard and are willing to improve themselves sothat they can achieve better standards intheir lives. I am very impressed thatCrossCountry is an equal opportunityemployer to people from outside the UK.

The best thing about my job is…

meeting new people, travelling to differentexciting locations and the fact that CrossCountry offers great careeropportunities. Working for CrossCountry hasreally broadened my horizons. It’s never a dullmoment.

My most valuable possession is…

my treasured memories of happy times in mylife and a few items of personal jewellerywhich bring me luck.

If you could travel back in time wherewould you go?

I would travel back one week and get thewinning lottery ticket numbers so that I couldmake all my close ones rich. My secondoption is to travel back to Victorian times,when women were women and men weremen. It could be a nice experience and couldmake our job much easier sometimes.

If I have time to myself…

I always treat myself and people I love. Itdoesn’t matter if it’s materially oremotionally, life is too short to be wasted. Ilove cooking – my speciality is soups. I goshooting in a gun club with my partner. I love

dogs (they are natural beauties with bighearts). I grew up on a small farm and used togo shooting in the woods with my dad andour hunting dogs. Apart from that I likeswimming, cycling, and doing Bikram (Hot)Yoga to relax. I also go to the cinema, theatreand exhibitions or do photography.

Favourite music, books and films?The best book ever is Anna Karenina (novelby Tolstoy) given to me by my mum. In themovies, I like romantic comedies.

The famous people I would invite to adinner party are…

some people who achieved great things forother people such as Vaclav Havel, the former

Czech president. I would like to reward themwith my cooking skills.

My favourite place in the world…

anywhere with my family or people I love.

When I was a child I wanted to be...

a teacher, flight attendant, hunter and vet. Itchanged all the time… but I followed mydream and moved abroad.

The best bit of advice I was ever given…

If you don’t have anything nice to say, saynothing (given by my partner). Always treatpeople in the same way as you would like tobe treated (given by my mum).

PAVLA JIROUSKOVA, Retail ServiceManager based at Bournemouth,takes time out to answer ourquestions. Aged 31 and originallyfrom the Czech Republic, she hasbeen on the railways for five years.

HADES Harrison has suchadmiration for the gods andlegends of ancient Greece thathe decided to change his namein their honour.

Previously Wayne Harrison,the Manchester Train Managerhas taken two new first namesof Greek origin.

His full moniker is now HadesWayne Talos Harrison. Hadesmeans the unseen in Greek andwas the name for theUnderworld of the Ancients.Talos was a mythical guardian.

Hades said: “I thought aboutchanging my name for years butI recently saw an advert for

changing your name bydeedpoll. They sendyou a form andthere is a charge of£23. My familywasn’t tooimpressed but formost people it’snot an issue.”

PavlaJirouskova

pictured outsideCannon Housewhen she was

there fortraining.

sk me another

Name change reflects a love of Greek mythology

XCLife p14 30/11/12 09:53 Page 1


Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FOUR prizes including a collector’s item modelare on offer in our winter wordsearch.

The theme is entertainment, to reflect ourstory about Skylar Whiting and her Fire Poi.

A Bachmann model of an 00Gauge Class 220 Voyager,painted in CrossCountrylivery, is on offer togetherwith three High Streetvouchers.

Entries should arrive nolater than 21 January 2013.Only CrossCountryemployees are eligible to enter.

Simply ring the wordsin the grid, cut it out andsend it with your name,address and phone numberto:

Kate Barnes, EmployeeEngagement Advisor,CrossCountry, 5th Floor, CannonHouse, 18 Priory Queensway,Birmingham B4 6BS.

Deluge hitsKen’s MGBrally day

Super racerunner-up

Forwardswith CCTV

WIN

OO GAUGE CLASS 220 VOYAGER ■£20 CURRYS/PC WORLD VOUCHER ■£20 VUE CINEMA VOUCHER ■£20 PIZZA HUT VOUCHER ■

KEN Hill’s hopes ofglorious day out at anMGB anniversary rally atBlenheim Palace were hitby an unseasonal storm.

The MGB 50 rallyorganised by the MGOwners Club, of which heis a member, and the MGBCar Club was set tocelebrate 50 years of thecar to which he is devotedas a proud owner of a 1964Roadster.

But his ideal day outturned into a damp squibas the Midlands and thesouth of England wereaffected by a deluge.

The Leicester RevenueProtection Inspector setout from his home in hisrestored MGB but wasforced to turn backbecause of the flood.

“It absolutely threw itdown and I was forced togo in my Volkswagen,” saidKen. “By the time I got toBlenheim Palace I foundthe showground turnedinto a quagmire.

“The scheduled paradeof MGBs was cancelled and most people headedhome around 4pm.”

SUPERBIKE racer SteveRoberts took part in achallenge organised by theAintree Motorcycle Club atAintree, Liverpool.

The Derby Driver Traineris a member of the club andwas riding on his Yamaha1,000 in the pre-injectionclass. Steve came second inthe final which wascontested by 30 riders.

THE WINNERS IN LAST ISSUE WERE:Patryk Samselski – OO Gauge class 220Voyager; Mark Hallas – £20 Pizza Hut Voucher;

Kathy Grant – £20 PC World Voucher; and DavidDoyle – £20 Vue Cinema Voucher.

POIQUIZROCKBANDSOPERAPLAYSACTORSBALLETCHOIRSCIRCUSCLOWNSHIPHOPJUGGLERSINGERSTHEATREVARIETYACROBATSCONCERTSMUSICALSFESTIVALSPANTOMIMENIGHTCLUBSPANEL GAMESROLLERBLADESPOETRY READINGBALLROOM DANCING

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FORWARD-FACING CCTV isbeing installed on theVoyager fleet, withcompletion of the projectexpected by the end of theyear. Footage from thecameras will help in avariety of areas includingaccident investigations and vegetation issues.

Please indicatethe prize youwould like to winin order ofpreference byputting numbers inthe boxes.

If the top choice is the model train,write 1 in the box. For your secondchoice write 2 etc.

a model Voyager in our entertainments wordsearch

XCLife p15 29/11/12 16:30 Page 1

16 XC Life Winter 2012 Published by CrossCountry. Telephone 0121 2006038. [email protected]

IF you have a story for thestaff magazine pleasecontact Ron Quenby on07966 424382 or [email protected]

Call us withyour stories

GRAHAM Hodgson hadalways harboured theambition to travel to “the

edge of the world.” That’s how hethought of the remote island ofSt Kilda in the Western Isles ofScotland, 60 miles out into theAtlantic Ocean.

Somehow bad weather alwaysseemed to thwart his plans – butthis year, thanks to hisperseverance, he has finally madeit to the remote shore.

Graham, a dedicated‘island-bagger’, was a passengeron a boat called The EnchantedIsle, as it travelled first through a

fog bank and then into clear blueskies. At the end of a three-hourjourney from the Isle of Harristhe party arrived at Village Bayand disembarked.

“The sea and the sky were justimpossibly blue,” said theNewcastle Train Manager. “Here I was at last walking up MainStreet on St Kilda – I just couldn’t believe my luck.

“Main Street was where themen of the village held aparliament every morning todecide the jobs for the day.

“Life was so harsh hereespecially in the winter months

when the supply ship might nevermake it for months on end. So itwas that the island wasevacuated in 1930.”

Overawed by the silence andbeauty of the island, Graham wasfurther inspired by the return tripthrough the sea stacks of thearchipelago which has beendesignated as a World Heritagesite.

Graham added: “We often jokewhen we go on board ourCrossCountry Voyagers thatanother voyage of discovery isbeginning... but this trip to StKilda was up there with the best.”

GOLFING enthusiastsat CrossCountry havedisplayed their skillsin two tournaments.

Drivers and TrainManagers fromBournemouth, Plymouthand Bristol took part in achallenge at Taunton Vale GolfClub, with the trophysponsored by the company.

Mel Davies, BirminghamDriver, organised an event atSwindon Golf Club nearWolverhampton, which wasattended by more than 40CrossCountry and Bombardierstaff.

MARK Teggin, ace BMX rider,is recovering from an injury– sustained while he was ona push bike.

The Bournemouth TrainManager, who had left hisSuzuki RMZ 450 behindwhile he did some trainingon a track at Christchurch,sustained 26 fractures inone of his elbows when thefront wheel buckled.

Happily, after surgery torebuild the bone, he is backin action and preparing to goback into competition.

At last... Graham reaches

KEEN diver Graham Marshall scooped anunexpected prize after pursuing his hobby inthe Red Sea. He took a series of underwaterpictures and entered one of them into amagazine competition – with the result thathe won a Kodak photo printer.

“I have a Mazda car and as a member of

the Mazda Club I receive the car company’scustomer magazine entitled Zoom-Zoom,”said Graham, a Newcastle Driver whosepast jobs have included infantry soldier androadie for singer Rod Stewart. “It was a realsurprise to be one of the winners on theirreaders’ photos page.”

BMX acerides back

Good workrecognised

Underwater photo SCOOPS PRIZE

Here I was at last walking upMain Street on St Kilda – I justcouldn’t believe my luck.

TWO CrossCountry staff atManchester have beencommended for their goodwork in helping out duringdisruption caused byfatalities on the line.

Liam Flanagan, RetailService Manager, and LindaMcGrath, First Class Host,were both given Star awardsfor looking after passengersand liaising with their TrainManagers.

GrahamHodgson

pictured on boardThe Enchanted Islewith St Kilda in the

background.

’’‘‘ Golfing

challenge

WORLD’‘THE

OF THEEDGE

XCLife p16 29/11/12 16:25 Page 1

xc life – winter 2012

Documents

people toconfirm

withour people

new year

examination of crosscountry

new law designedto help

chosen way

model ofbusiness excellence

recognised forexcellence