Dear Colleagues,

This week we launched our new Translink NI Railways and Samaritans partnership ‘We’re In Your Corner’; a hard-hitting campaign to promote the charity’s emotional support services and help prevent suicides on our rail network.
 
The partnership is based on the five year relationship between Samaritans and Network Rail in Great Britain. As part of this, we have been rolling out a special training programme for our station employees to help them to manage the challenging and highly sensitive circumstances they encounter when dealing with someone in distress.

We are also mindful of the fact that our own employees can have challenges in their lives and the ‘We’re in your Corner’ initiative complements the internal support facility available through our Welfare officer, Roy McLaughlin. Roy is part of the Human Resources team, who do excellent work in assisting employees with problems and issues they may have and I would encourage anyone who is experiencing difficulties in their personal life to speak to a member of the team.
 
Meanwhile, I would like to commend one of our Londonderry bus drivers, for a huge act of bravery which saved the life of a lady attempting to jump from Craigavon Bridge on Monday this week.  Shaun McLaughlin, who spotted a lady in distress climbing up on the railings of the bridge, stopped his bus, jumped out and caught her as she was just about to fall.  He then called the police and stayed with her until they arrived.  
 
Finally, we were double winners at the Rail Business Awards in London last night with our entries for PR Campaign - NEW TRAINS TWO PROGRAMME: “THE CLASS OF 2011”and Internal Communications - 'GO ECO' INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN.  This is tremendous recognition amongst our industry peers, for our already award winning ‘New Trains Two’ programme and our ‘Go Eco’ campaign, which communicates the huge achievements we have made in making environmental awareness a focus in everything we do.  Congratulations to everyone involved!

Catherine Mason,
Group Chief Executive