The RailStaff Awards

Nominations for Rail Team of the Year

Susan Temple

Said the following about Johnstone Station Staff:

“Johnstone train station is a Scotrail staffed station and is one of the busiest on the ScotRail network. It lies 15 minutes from Glasgow on the Glasgow to Ayr mainline.

The staff at Johnstone have continued to support the local not just the local community, but communities across Strathclyde, and recently Uganda (more about that soon!)

The staff at station are very passionate about their station and about their community. They are very proactive with helping out the local community - they are supported by local businesses and are also supported by the customers who use the station. Customers and local businesses donate clothing, bric-a-brac, toiletries, books and their time to support a number of local (and now international!) charities at the station.

The last 12 months the station has been busier, with the return of more passengers travelling, but the need for help has also been greater. Johnstone station has a few local projects which they have continued to support for the last 10 years - Woman's Aid, Turning point, the continued the collection of children's PJs on behalf of the Provost of Renfrewshire, etc. Recently, the station team have taken on more and are supporting more charities during these difficult times.

In January, there was a urgent appeal on behalf of refugees from Ukraine who were being housed on a boat on the Clyde, many of them woman and children who were in need of winter clothes. The staff arranged for a clothes drop at the station, with more than 6 car loads of clothing being donated, sorted and delivered. The staff also sourced enough nursery equipment to help set up a play group so that the younger children had somewhere to play.

The team at Johnstone in their own time became involved with a school in Glasgow, who were introducing kids to using the train and teaching them all about rail safety. The Children were non-verbal Autistic, some of them never been on a train before. This has made such a difference to the lives of the children involved, and now many of them feel comfortable and at ease riding on board the train.

In addition to all of the above, recently the team has taken their charity work international, with donations of flip flops and sandals to charities working in Uganda.

Johnstone Station may be small, but the staff have hearts of gold. Nothing is too much for their passengers. The team at Johnstone has fostered an environment where it is ok to ask for help. The station is clean, it is safe, and it is welcoming. The booking office has many personal touches, plants, and book shelves which is also a book exchange.

Johnstone Station is part of the community in every way.“