ANGLIA SIGNALLER CELEBRATES 45 YEARS SERVICE ON THE RAILWAYS

Friday 24 Nov 2006

ANGLIA SIGNALLER CELEBRATES 45 YEARS SERVICE ON THE RAILWAYS

Region & Route:: Eastern: Anglia; | Eastern

It’s all change for Anglia signaller Dali Jabbar who is going full steam ahead into retirement after working on the railway for 45 years and helping millions of people enjoy a smooth journey. Dali first joined the railway in 1961 after moving to Britain from Kenya and began as a ‘telegraph boy’ at the former Westwood Junction signal box in Peterborough. After 20 years service at Peterborough, Dali moved to work in Ipswich signal box for 18 years until 1999 before moving to cover a number of signal boxes on the Colchester to Clacton line including East Gate, Clacton and Thorpe-le-Soken where he is set to end his career next week. The railway veteran, who celebrates his 65th birthday when he officially retires on Wednesday 29 November, said: “I am proud to have been part of the railways in East Anglia for so long and have some very special memories to cherish. I’ve lived through the days of steam, electrification and modernisation of all railway equipment and have enjoyed each day as much as my first, almost half a century ago.” Network Rail’s Route Director Jon Wiseman said: “Dali’s incredibly long service with Network Rail, and formerly British Rail, shows his enthusiasm and commitment to the railway. Over the past 45 years, he has helped thousands of train services run smoothly, safely and on time. We’d like to wish him a very happy retirement – he will be greatly missed.” Dali lives in Ipswich where he has been an Ipswich Borough Councillor since May 1990 and will continue to serve into his retirement. Dali’s career history:

24 April 1961 – Dali is employed as a ‘telegraph boy’ at the former Westwood Junction signal box in Peterborough
1966 – Dali is promoted to become a signaller at Peterborough North Signal Box
September 1981 – moves to become signaller Ipswich signal box where he stays for the next 18 years
1999 - moves to the Colchester – Clacton line where he remains for the rest of his career covering a number of signal boxes including Thorpe-le-Soken, Clacton and Eastgate
28 November 2006 – Dali retires after 45 years, 7 months and 5 days on the railway

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - South East route
020 3357 7969
southeastroutecomms@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

Media centre