Ben Nicklen

Said the following about Gerry Connors:

“JUSTIFICATION

Gerry has been a key member of the team on the Northern Line for the past 42 years. His knowledge of the mechanical systems on not only the current 1995 Tube Stock, but also the 2 previous stocks (1959 & 1972) is way in advance of anyone else past and present. He is always happy to share this knowledge with new employees and is well respected within the business for this. Gerry's key responsibility is as a Production Manager working in the lifting facility at Golders Green Depot.

As well as leading his own team at Golders Green and ensuring they all deliver to the high standards he has always aspired too he also applies a hands-on approach where he is happy to get involved in the tasks at hand and demonstrate to the new comers how it is done.

OPENING STATEMENT

Gerry was doing A levels, back in 1977 whilst his father and brother were working at Golders Green Depot. Gerry's father arranged for him to have an interview and he successfully became a Train Maintainer for the summer holidays whilst also completing his exams. He did so well during this holiday job that the then Depot Manager offered him a full-time role.

Gerry started as an unskilled labourer directly after the summer job even though he had not yet finished his exams.

Throughout the years Gerry has progressed through several roles before becoming a Production Manager as he is today. In 1979 he was an NDT tester and bogie worker, in 1982 he became a grade 3 Foreman, partnered with a grade 1 foreman. As fortune would have it the grade 1 foreman Gerry worked with went sick for 6 weeks and Gerry was in charge. It was during this time covering the role Gerry skills were recognised and he was soon himself promoted to a grade 1 foremen.

In 1995 Alstom were awarded the PFI contract on the Northern Line and Gerry was asked to manage the introduction of the new fleet of trains being delivered. The new trains were slowly introduced after build from the years 1998 until 2001. Gerry is a fountain of knowledge and he can still remember the train numbers of the first and last trains that entered passenger service.

After a short role in the continuous improvement team, Gerry then took the lead on learning the lifting requirements of the new fleet and from that point has since become the oracle on anything that involves any mechanical systems or lifting the trains.

SUPPORTING STATEMENTS

Simon Broadley, Alstom. I arrived at Golders Green in 2006, with Gerry as one of my production managers. I quickly recognised his mechanical knowledge and can-do attitude, these together with a great personality allowed the lifting team to overcome some very challenging times.

In 2009, Alstom was challenged to complete a major bogie overhaul in-house, this was unheard of at London Transport and a vast learning curve was required. Gerry was at the front working alongside the engineering team in developing the work instructions, designing / testing new tooling, training the workshop staff on the commencement of the overall and quality control.

Without Gerry's contribution I'm sure there would have been very difficult challenges to overcome.“