Said the following about James Rousell:

“Jim (Jimbob) Rousell has provided the safety assurance, guidance and hardworking ethic approach as well being an essential operational confidante of the senior managers in the Wessex Route for nearly twenty years. Currently in the post of Project Operations Interface Specialist and having recently been the operational overseer to the successful upgrading of Waterloo station approaches and the reopening of the old Waterloo International to commercial use, I have no hesitation in nominating Jim for this award.

The Wessex Route got Jim on a ‘free transfer’ from GWR 20 years ago in the capacity of the Signalling Inspector; a largely unknown Jim used all his extensive previous signalling experience to gain an encyclopaedic knowledge of Wessex and his current CV would boast that this knowledge does indeed stretch from London Waterloo down to all the coastal parts that the route serves. He befriended every operator on the route by his good-natured approach and has had that essential cup of tea with every signaller / MOM / station staff (and anybody) that’s needed help or much needed guidance if they had doubts or worries about an operational issue.

If you ask Jim for guidance or reassurance – you don’t require a second opinion!

Nowadays, Jim’s role is supposed to be confined to attending the daily planning, design, risk assessments etc. involved with delivering major projects, but that’s not where his working day normally ends. As second line operations on call for the entire route he will regularly be called at all hours of the night for operational guidance or even to set up pilot working, wind points, operate signal boxes, all of which are not part of his job specification but he does it because he’s the type of man that will not see anyone – his managers, the staff, the customers or the passengers – let down by something as insignificant as him cycling five miles or so to a failure, because it’s quicker for him to attend than for another operator to travel that far to do so!

Very recent examples include arranging modified block working at Yeovil Junction and setting up pilotworking / winding points at Wilton South Junction – both in the last two weeks.

Over the past three years Jim has also collated evidence and written 7 formal investigations as lead investigator, naturally these investigations are thorough, and so being, delivered safety benefits and recommendations to local operations managers to cascade to their staff.

Jim never likes making life easy for himself, his daily commute of that five mile cycle ride to his local station then a 90 minute train journey followed by a twenty minute walk will see him in the office by 0720 each morning with a cheery, cheeky grin and his rucksack full of the days documents and plans to work on. Then he’ll think nothing of jumping on another train for an hour to Waterloo or Croydon for a short notice meeting just after lunch time. His regular day will be no less than 12 hours before his commute home. ‘That’s the way it needs to be’ – he would say!

Jim’s quiet but determined presence on the Wessex Route has galvanised safety and his no nonsense willingness to challenge unsafe procedure (well before it became de rigueur to do so!) and to drive home correct methods of working for the very many unusual situations and challenges the route has faced during the upgrading works has reaped benefits in safety and train performance, not to mention the compliant adherence to procedures and rules.

The signature of 'James Rousell' at the bottom of any safety related document will mean that a) it has left no stone unturned and b) it will be safe. Our senior managers sleep soundly with the likes of Jim on the route.

Finally, Jim’s greatest attribute is his willingness to talk, listen and help anyone at any time, and because of his vast knowledge many people do so on a too regular basis, it’s rare when Jim can walk through Basingstoke ROC to a meeting or interview without being stopped to be either asked another question or invited to another meeting that ‘couldn’t possibly go ahead without him’.

Everyone is after Jim every day and he complies with all manner of requests with a gentle smile and a nod and a wink that he will get it done. He is the most knowledgeable and able railwayman I have ever met and could have been placed in more than one category within these awards, but he would be proudest to receive this award for railway safety the most!“