I have three working days remaining as a London Waterloo-based Metro Guard at South Western Railway. Two days working trains, and one day on Saturday where I have time to clear out my locker, return equipment to my manager, and handle final paperwork. The last year has been such a brilliant experience, and actually pivotal in me achieving my new job with Greater Anglia.
Without wanting to get political, it has taken me doing the role to see just how critical, and just how much of a vital role it is to the UK Railway. I’ve had very long days, I’ve had experiences that I’d love to forget. But I’ve also met some amazing people, and had a fantastic time getting to know parts of the UK I’d never dreamed of visiting before. But as of Saturday… I get to do all that again with a new company, with a new set of challenges.
My final day will be filled with 455s (funny, that’s what my first week out productive was too!), and my very last journey will be 2U29 and 2U36 on Friday afternoon (Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside and back). Part of me wishes the King will be there to say hello. The logical side of me knows he won’t be.
Now, all I need to do is get that 455 back into Waterloo and not tear up. It’s gonna be a rather emotional Friday, methinks!
Edit: Funny how things never work out as expected… My turn of duty was taken by a Guards Manager who wanted to keep up their train working competency. So instead as a spare, I worked a 10-car 458 one stop to Clapham (which left a good 20-minutes late and via the Mainline instead of the Windsor lines after a signalling failure) and then a 455 to Hampton Court and back.
But hey… it’s not the SWML if things don’t break and plans didn’t change at the very last moment!