Damon Cox

Said the following about Chris Norgate:

“Chris not only makes a positive impact day in and day out on the railway’s customers and colleagues, but he also projects a positive impression of the industry into the wider community. Neither as a commuter in a past life nor during my fifteen years working on the railway since then, have I met an individual quite like Chris. Whether you are a fellow traincrew, platform staff, a cleaner, a station retailer, a customer, or a stranger in the street, everyone gets the same equal treatment. Your day as his driver may start with a wake up from his “singing” at a little past 4 am, before moving on to the train where his smile and personality will keep even the fullest train a happy one, before arriving on a break where the station retailers who see thousands of faces a day will greet him by name. Even outside the railway boundary, you might even spy on him helping the staff at Woking’s Costa set the tables up at opening time, such is the rapport he builds during work time not just on but also off the railway within the local community. He has even learnt words and phrases in some other languages which he uses to greet them with.

He’s not just a joker though. While undertaking his duties, and looking after his passengers with the aforementioned joviality, safety is still at the forefront of his mind. This blend of approachability and professionalism has gone on to prove him to have been the ideal candidate to be made a Guard’s Coach, with new recruits now being sent out with him to help them settle into their new role. His ability to judge situations means when times are hard he is also a solid rock, something I experienced personally when I was involved in an incident while I was Chris’ driver. Three years later I still regularly receive contact from him checking in with genuine intentions, even outside of work time and without him having any responsibility or duty to do so whatsoever. Recent years have been an undeniably challenging time on the railway for a number of reasons, but his very presence has certainly kept up morale at Farnham depot, and doubtless brought many smiles to countless faces on and around the railway. Yet, while being there for so many people, he has also been dealing with long running personal matters of his own throughout his time on the railway. For being one in a million he recently won the ‘Supportive of Each Other – Individual’ award at this year’s South Western Railway Excellence Awards, which he has remained modest about since as he simply feels he is doing his job. Winning a much-deserved Rail Staff Award might finally help him see how much of an impact he really has, as well as further thanking and recognising him for all he does… even if he doesn’t realise it.“