Meet the Team

 

Meet the Team

CHAIRMAN - Reg Sargeant

Hello everyone,
My name is Reg Sargeant and I have the honour of having been elected as your new National Chairman at the Annual General Meeting which was held in London on the 14th. of March 2024, having been your National Vice Chairman since 2018.

As many of you are probably aware, our previous National Chairman, John Harrison, reluctantly had to stand down at the 2023 National AGM due to his own and his wife’s serious health concerns and I took over the Chairman’s duties between the 2023 and 2024 Annual General Meetings and it was then my pleasure to be able to welcome John to the 2024 AGM and to see him deservedly become one of our Vice Presidents in recognition of his dedication to the BTPF and it’s members.

I was a lifelong railwayman, having started on the railway in the Footplate grade as an Engine Cleaner at Toton loco shed in 1962, becoming a steam locomotive Fireman the following year and a Secondman when the Fireman’s grade was abolished in the late 1960s.

As a Secondman, I transferred to Derby 4 Shed depot in 1973 and eventually completed my MP12 Driver training in late 1979 when I was passed out for driving duties by Inspector George Hibbert after a very extensive three day examination.

In 1982 I transferred to Birmingham New Street depot to become a registered Driver, before transferring back to Toton in 1986 and finally back to Derby 4 Shed in 1990, where I remained until I took early retirement in December 2007.

While stationed at Birmingham New Street I met and eventually married my late wife Anna, who passed away in December 2014.

After Anna passed away the enormous strength of the ‘Railway Family’ community plus the love and support of my own family, neighbours and other non railway friends, helped me to get through the trauma of losing Anna and I will always be grateful for that.

In addition to being your National Chairman, I also have the honour of being the Chairman of the Birmingham BTPF branch.

My phone number is 07508 846 988.
My email address is reginald.sargeant@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you with any comments, observations and suggestions you may have about YOUR BTPF.
VICE-CHAIRMAN - Vacant
David HughesACTING ASSISTANT NATIONAL SECRETARY - David Hughes

Hello my name is David Hughes I started my railway journey in 1963 as a Junior Porter located in the telegraph office manning the telephone switchboard at Warrington Central station, from there I moved to be a Train Booker at Glazebrook East signalbox and later Acton Grange Jct box.

Passing my signaling R & R I moved to my first location Warrington Central box from there working many locations within the north west and finally retiring from LOM Preston in January 2008. Since my retirement I have been a member of BTPF Warrington Branch and was appointed Secretary in 2013. As part of my role I attend North West area and RSG meetings.

I was nominated for the position of National Secretary at the AGM in 2017. I look forward to serving the BTPF family to the best of my ability.

Steven SaundersSteven Saunders – National Secretary

My railway working life started in August 1974 in the Rules & Signalling section at Waterloo, then carried on to Wimbledon, Croydon and Beckenham so that by 1981 I had worked at Southern Region HQ and all three of its Divisions. This also included a spell as Assistant Station Manager on the Bexleyheath line in Southeast London. When the Divisions were abolished in 1984 I moved to the Regional Investment Manager’s department, again at Waterloo. Projects I was involved with included Brighton Line resignalling, the new City Thameslink station, the BR works associated with the Channel Tunnel and Networker on Kent Link. National roles followed in commercial, planning and regulation in Railtrack and Network Rail, dealing with the track access contracts with the train and freight operating companies, until I left Network Rail and joined the Old Southeronians in 2013.

I had the honour of serving the Railway Study Association as its Secretary for 24 years. I became National Secretary of the BTPF at the Annual General Meeting in March 2020 and continue to be Secretary of the Sussex Branch of the Old Southeronians Association.

I have been lucky enough to travel on railways in Continental Europe, North America, Australasia, Africa and Japan; visited heritage railways and transport museums all around the world and supported Charlton Athletic at over 70 different English football grounds.


TREASURER - Christopher Jago

As Treasurer I look after the finances of the Federation and the fund we created in 2013 to maintain the memorial we placed in the National Memorial Arboretum.

I retired from Railway service in 2004 following a 38 year long career in Operating and Business Management in the area of the old Southern Region and Network SouthEast. My last employer was Network Rail but I never actually worked for them as I had been seconded by Railtrack to be responsible for building Section 1 of the CTRL, now known as HS1, from 1999.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY - Vacant
PRESIDENT - Maurice Holmes OBE

Various clerical positions within Chief Operating Supts. office, Paddington.

Management Trainee West of England Division then Bristol.
Junior Operations Officer, Bristol thence Area Manager, Bath. Area Manager
Freight and Passenger, Bristol Temple Meads.

Asst. Train PlanningOfficer, Western Region, Paddington.
Freight Planning Manager, BR HQ, then Passenger Planning Manager, BR HQ.

Divisional Manager, Liverpool Street, including Fenchurch Street.

Chief Operating Manager, Southern Region, Waterloo. Deputy General
Manager, Waterloo.
Acting General Manager, Waterloo. Deputy Director Network South East.

Director of Operations and Safety, BR HQ.

Membership of London Chamber of Commerce. Confederation of British
Industries.

VICE PRESIDENT - Peter Rayner

Prior to being a Vice President of the BTPF, I served as National Chairman on two separate occasions amounting to over ten years in the Post.

I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and chair their Accessibility and Inclusion Forum. I am also a Fellow of the Institution of Railway Operators, an Associate of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management. I am also currently a Vice President of the National Pensioners’ Convention and serve as their Transport Adviser.

I have been a member of the AGE – Platform EU Expert Group on Universal Access and Independent Living since 2004 and have represented AGE as a speaker at Conferences in Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Geneva, Barcelona, Prague and Brussels. I am also AGE Platform’s mandated representative on the TSI PRM (Technical Specification for Interoperability) (Persons of Reduced Mobility) working party in ERA HQ in Lille and have been so since 2011.

A career railway man, I joined British Railways as a messenger and became Chief Operating Manager. I am a retired member of the TSSA and NUJ, and still undertake occasional expert witness work mainly for Trade Union solicitors. A past member of the Samaritans and Amnesty International, I had a book entitled “On and Off the Rails” published in 1997.

VICE PRESIDENT - Lawrie Windwood

Lawrie Windwood worked for British Railways for 35 years and retired in 1993.

I was National Secretary of the British Transport Pensioners Federation from 1999 to 2015.

I am currently Secretary of the BRB Headquarters Retired Staff Association and represent the BTPF on the Executive Committee of the National Pensioners Convention.

I am Vice President of the BTPF.

John HarrisonVICE PRESIDENT - John Harrison

My name is John Harrison, and I was delighted to be elected as National Chairman of
the BTPF at our Annual General Meeting held in March 2018 and as a Vice President
in March 2024..

My railway career started as a Trade Apprentice in the Derby Carriage and Wagon
Works, (Now Alstom Transport) and ended in a managerial role associated with
Channel Tunnel Freight Services. Along the way I had spells with British Transport
Hotels, Travellers Fare, BR’s Civil Engineering Department, BRB HQ at 222
Marylebone Road, London Midland’s CM&EE Departments at Derby and
Birmingham, Freight Engineering at the Railway Technical Centre, Derby, and with
Railfreight Distribution at the International Electric Maintenance Depot in Crewe.

I also completed a project for Transmark the former BR Consultancy Group, in
Tanzania, East Africa. Since completing full time work, I have done various lecturing
and tutoring jobs for colleges local to where I live and a research project for the
University of Leicester. I have carried out work in the industry associated with Rail
Replacement Services and was a Duty Manager for the Derby Resignalling Project in
2019. I am a former Chairman of the Friends of Narborough Station.

I have always believed that the railway industry is a great family of people, in many
cases it is not just a job of work, but in reality it is a way of life. People past and
present have made our industry what it is, some of them we must never forget
especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We were proud to commemorate
this, with the unveiling of our memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in
Staffordshire on 22 nd May 2012. Each year on this date we have a short re dedication
ceremony, including the laying of a wreath. We of course have a similar ceremony at
the memorial each year on 11 th November at 11.00Hrs.

While most definitely not forgetting the past, we are also very keen to keep moving
our organisation forward. I believe that by joining the BTPF you will help us to
secure and maintain a better future for all of us, whilst enjoying an amazing quality of
life by being active in an informal and relaxing atmosphere, with humour generally
high on the agenda. As well as meeting people, you will help us to maintain and in
some cases, improve our current rail travel arrangements.

VICE PRESIDENT - Les McDowell

Hello. My name is Les McDowell and I have been privileged to be the Chairman of the British Transport Pensioners Federation for the last five years.

I joined the Railways after leaving school at 18 and enjoyed many and somewhat varied jobs including Railman, Signalman, three Inspector positions, Performance Officer and then into Management. Initially, I was involved in the St Pancras Area and the introduction of the electrified service from Bedford and left the Area in 1988 as Area Manager.

I moved on to become Area Manager, West Midlands Freight at Bescot until the first throws of privatisation, when I became a Director of Transrail at Crewe. When English, Welsh and Scottish Railway won the bidding process for four of the Freight businesses, I became a Director of EWS.

I retired from the Railway five years ago after completing more than one role as a Contractor to Network Rail – the last one being involved in West Coast Route Modernisation.

It would be quite true to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my diverse career on the Railway and in particular meeting so many people. Within the BTPF I am striving to continue to meet as many people as possible and attend Branch and Council meetings. Along with the rest of the Officers, I am working to introduce a new recruitment effort and to improve communications. However, uppermost in all our endeavours are the two key areas of Pensions and Travel Facilities and I am adamant that these continue to be very closely monitored and safeguarded.

Please let me know your views on what the BTPF is doing, or should be doing, using the email link on this site. I look forward to hearing from you.

WEBSITE MANAGER - Paul Murphy

Started my working career with British Rail, North Wall Dublin. Since privatisation in 1984, British Rail has changed hands and name over the years( British Rail, SeaLink, British Ferries, Stena Line to name a few).
I first worked in the Customs Clearance Dept. at North Wall along with a stint at the Freightliners Terminal Dublin Port.
After some years I moved to the Passenger Sales Dept. at North Wall Dublin, Westmoreland St, Dublin and finally Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

While at Dun Laoghaire I was appointed as Marketing and General Information Assistant to the Marketing and Communications Department of Sealink based in Adelaide House, Dun Laoghaire.

Following on from this I was appointed Management Information Assistant, providing statistical analysis support for local management and sales team.

Spent some years as webmaster for www.stenaline.ie , also Database Manager.

Represented Stena Line on the Board of Tourist Victim Support Service (T.V.S.S.) from 1994 to 2002, liaising with Tourism Ireland, Dept. of Justice

ASSISTANT WEBSITE MANAGER - John Trigger

My railway career was direct from school via a sponsored university course, and was spent on the Western Region Signalling & Telecommunications & their derivatives, working at Reading, Bristol and Exeter.

I was involved in telecommunications planning, commissioning and maintenance engineering support, finally specialising in safety-critical telecommunications systems power management.

Enjoying the benefits of our pension scheme and travel allowances, I hope to help BTPF support these into the future and promote the BTPF to potential new members, in its various aims.

As Assistant Website Manager, part of the recruitment team, I assist Paul in keeping the web pages up-to-date, dealing mostly with news items of interest to our members.

Ian ClarkeTRAVEL FACILITIES LIAISON - Ian Clarke

Hello My name is Ian Clarke.I am a life long Railway man.I started my career in1962 at Saltley locomotive depot and retired In 2010 at New Street Cross country depot going through the grades Engine Cleaner to inter city driver.
I have been liaison on Travel facilities with BTPF for quite a few years, having regular meetings with Rail Staff Travel on all matters connected with Staff Travel.
I am always contactable by email or telephone for travel problems or enquiries My other positions are Treasurer of the Tyesely branch of the BTPF.Treasurer of The west midlands Section of the BTPF.A member of the Cross Country Pensions Committee. And Treasurer of the Saltley Welfare Fund.

My telephone number is 07545555214 and my email address is. Ianedwardclarke @gmail.com