Tracey Cogswell

Said the following about Simon Langley:

“Simon joined the railway straight from school in 1987. Starting off fresh faced with British Rail Network South East, Simon went on to complete a number of roles before moving into Station Management with Thames Trains and then First Great Western. In 2010 he moved over to the South West region with South West Trains where he held roles at Richmond, Staines & Surbiton whilst also covering a number of other stations along the way.

In 2018, Simon was interviewed for the job of Train Presentation Manager for London Waterloo. He instantly impressed with his knowledge and his enthusiasm for train presentation and its people. Upon taking up this role, he became the people manager with the highest number of direct reports in the whole of the SWR organisation (responsible for over 80 people in his team at London Waterloo).

In more recent years, against a backdrop of post-covid economic challenges and cost pressures, Simon somehow convinced our Head of Train Presentation to spend more than ever on his team. There’s a theory in business that to get a request approved by your manager, you should come up with an idea and then make your manager think they came up with it. It is often wondered if Simon was doing this to our Head of Train Presentation!

These weren’t luxuries for himself, he had the smallest desk in the office, tucked in the corner. But from this modest set up he would send through relentless requests for new purchases. All these orders were for the benefit of his team and nothing else:

• New Washing machine and tumble dryer (circa £10,000)

• New cooler summer uniform

• Branded caps for the lower winter sun

• Branded water bottles to keep his team hydrated

• Thermal clothing for the winter so they didn’t get cold

• Air conditioning for their mess room so they didn’t get hot

• A refurbished mess room

• A refurbished locker room

• I could go on….

All these areas took time and effort for him to justify, but he would put the hours in because it was for the wellbeing and comfort of his team. Yes, he would have a laugh with his team on the platforms and in the office, but through it all he would have their best interests at heart. Our department may now be bankrupt, but at least the money has gone to the right areas and this is thanks to Simon. There have been numerous messages from colleagues who worked with Simon throughout his career, all of which show Simon to be held in very high regard, for the time and effort he put into those around him to enhance their futures and benefit the rail industry along the way, with career-oriented focussed and dedicated individuals. He has been an inspirational colleague and leader throughout.

Sadly we lost Simon suddenly and unexpectedly on 8th September 2023 but he has given his whole career to the railway and its people. He was loved by many for his determination to keep improving the standards in his area of control on the railway. He really did love the industry and it would be just wonderful for us to be able to return that love and appreciation through this award.

As the Head of Train Presentation said in a eulogy to Simon, “Whilst your train has sadly reached the buffer stops of life, the journey that brought you here will never be forgotten”. A true Gentleman of the Railway.“