Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has welcomed award-winning author and poet, Patience Agbabi, to its Golders Green Traincare Centre in North London. Organised as part of Alstom’s wider Black History Month programme in the UK and Ireland, Patience gave a talk to staff about her life, career and Black identity – as well as her love of trains.
Around one hundred colleagues joined the Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature for an in-depth interview, with many more joining online from across Alstom’s 37 sites in the UK and Ireland. Patience discussed her journey as a writer, what inspires her as an author and poet, and explored the theme of this year’s Black History Month, ‘Standing in Pride and Power.’
Patience was born in London to Nigerian parents, and studied English Language and Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford. Her career started in the 1990s as a member of performance group Atomic Lip – described as ‘poetry’s first pop group’ – and, after publishing several acclaimed poetry collections, she released her debut novel in 2020. The Infinite is a young adult eco-thriller that centres around a time travelling autistic teenager.
“The Northern line is my favourite Underground line. I love how all its branches interact with each other like a complex plotline. So it was thrilling to be able to share my train-inspired novel in person at Golders Green Depot, meet and eat with the workforce, and then get invaluable inside knowledge about its workings. The whole day was an inspiration,” said Patience Agbabi.
The writer and her family are proud railfans and she previously questioned in The Guardian newspaper as to whether she was ‘the only Black female trainspotter in Britain’. The railways are often referenced in her work and, during her visit to Golders Green, she also gave Alstom staff a reading from her third novel, The Circle Breakers, where the main characters board a train in Victorian London.
“Patience’s visit to Golders Green was more than just a celebration of literature – it was a moment of connection, reflection and pride. Her passion for railways and storytelling resonated deeply with our teams, reminding us of the power of representation in every corner of our industry,” said Simran Sandhu, Chair of Voices of Cultural Diversity and Senior Procurement Manager at Alstom.
She added: “Black History Month is a vital time for us at Alstom to honour the contributions of Black colleagues past and present, and to reaffirm our year-round commitment to inclusion. Through events like this, we stand firm in power and pride – amplifying voices, sharing stories and building a workplace where everyone belongs.”
Opened in 1906, Golders Green is one of two main depots – the other being at Mordern – where Alstom maintains the 106 trains that operate on the Northern line. Comprising of 1995 Stock, the Alstom-manufactured fleet has been in passenger service since 1998 on London’s busiest Tube line.
Following her talk, Patience and her family were given an extensive tour of Golders Green Depot, led by Murphy Shittu, Depot Manager and James Hughes, Senior Production Manager. As the UK’s leading supplier of new trains and train services, they learned how Alstom cares day-and-night for the Northern line fleet, which carry approximately 35,000 components per train and collectively travel over nine million miles each year.
Black History Month has been marked by Alstom with a series of events in person and online throughout October. Teaming up with Avanti West Coast, the company welcomed pupils from Watling Academy in Milton Keynes on Tuesday 14 October for a tour of its Wembley Traincare Centre – where Alstom services the operator’s Class 390 Pendolino trains, alongside the Caledonian Sleeper. The students also met with the daughters of Asquith Xavier, who in 1966 became the first Black guard at London Euston railway station after challenging the ‘colour bar’ that excluded non-white workers.
Alstom is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, and its four award-winning ‘Voices of’ groups – Women, Pride+, Cultural Diversity and Disability – help to share lived experiences; challenge groupthink in its strategy and policies; have oversight of relevant key performance indicators (KPIs); and act as ambassadors.
Meanwhile, in 2017, Alstom launched its biannual EDI census to identify improvement areas in the UK and Ireland. From the findings, the company developed and delivered the Alstom8 workshops to raise awareness and give practical advice on how to successfully drive inclusivity in the workplace.
Black History Month is observed in the UK throughout October and in 2025 it comes with the theme ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community around the world. It also seeks to highlight the profound contributions made by Black people, be they leaders, activists or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity and growth.
Last year, Patience visited Alstom’s Old Oak Common Depot in West London, where the company maintains the Derby-built Class 345 Aventra trains around-the-clock for Transport for London’s Elizabeth line. She wrote of her experience at the time: “Pristine, industrial and totally thrilling, a place where the technological past and future fused together in the present.”
Patience’s visit to Alstom’s Golders Green Depot took place on Thursday 23 October.
Image credit: Alstom Group
