A Black Country man who has helped keep millions of people on the move during a 50-year career has celebrated a milestone anniversary at Birmingham New Street.
Harjinder ‘Paul’ Dhami, from Tipton, has worked in public-facing and safety-critical jobs on the railway since he started in June 1976.
On 15 June he was presented with a long-service award to mark his five decades of service – and at 70-years-young, he has no plans to stop just yet.
Paul started his career on 14 June 1976 as a carriage cleaner in Tyseley, before working as a shunter driver in Nuneaton and at stations on routes between Lichfield and Redditch and Kidderminster and Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 1990, he joined Birmingham New Street as ‘chargeman’, taking on responsibility for preparing trains for service. He was later promoted to platform supervisor and now, as a train dispatcher, he meets trains arriving at the station and makes sure they leave safely and on time, sending passengers on their journeys from the busiest station outside of London.
Paul now works part-time but in his safety-critical role over the years, he has safely sent hundreds of thousand of trains on their way to destinations all over Great Britain.
Commenting on his career, anniversary, and family, Paul, said: “I came over from India and I needed and wanted to get a job. The railway was advertising and I applied. It’s the best decision I have ever made, it’s given me and my family a life we couldn’t have envisaged.
“My wife and I are so proud of our three daughters who all got to university. The railway has given us all that and I have always been grateful by working hard to ensure I do my job to the best of my ability every minute of every shift.”
Fraser Pithie, station operations manager at Birmingham New Street, said: “Paul is a hugely respected member of the team and is known for his professionalism and strong presence on the platform. He makes sure trains are dispatched safely and on time, and has always been a strong advocate for safety and high standards.
“His dedication to the railway, to passengers and to his colleagues over 50 years, is a fantastic achievement. We’re incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone with him.”
A train dispatcher role is to safely meet train services and to dispatch them at their departure time. It is a safety critical role which requires working with the train crew and signallers. The dispatcher is the person that gives the final permission for a train to leave the station.
Paul’s varied 50-year career reflects the vital role railway employees play in keeping services running and supporting millions of passengers every year.
Image credit: Network Rail
