Railway worker celebrated for 50-year career

A railway worker from Tipton has been presented with a long-service award to mark his 50 years of service - and aged 70, he has no plans to stop just yet.

Harjinder Dhami, also known as Paul, has celebrated a milestone anniversary at Birmingham New Street railway station.

"It's the best decision I have ever made, it's given me and my family a life we couldn't have envisaged," he said.

Dhami 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 a 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.

Dhami 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, Dhami said: "I came over from India and I needed and wanted to get a job. The railway was advertising and I applied.

"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."

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