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Tuesday 19 Dec 2017

Railway Grafters release Christmas song

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

A squad of singing railway workers today released a rowdy rework of the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

‘We Are The Railway Grafters’ was sung, and later tweeted from @NetworkRailBHM, by a choir of Birmingham New Street station staff.

Their re-written lyrics - to the tune that took Gene Autry to the top of the American Billboard chart in 1949 - tell how 32,000 Network Rail workers will be “making the railway better” around the clock across Britain this Christmas.

Patrick Power, Birmingham New Street station manager and a member of the Railway Grafters choir, said: “What we lack in choral talent we more than make up for in soul.”

He added: “This is our way of reminding people that Railway Grafters up and down the land are working hard to make the railway bigger and better for you this Christmas.”

As part of Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan this Christmas and New Year, Network Rail is carrying out £160 million of investment at 3,100 work sites under 260 individual projects nationwide.

Some of the big railway upgrades taking place are at Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool (Great North Rail Project), Birmingham (West Midlands Resignalling), London Bridge (Thameslink Programme) and London Paddington (Crossrail).

Train customers planning trips over the festive period are advised to plan ahead and check before travelling on www.nationalrail.co.uk. Information can also be found on Twitter using the #ChristmasBHworks hash tag.

The Railway Grafters recorded their song in one take and at zero cost on a smart phone at Birmingham New Street station.

We Are The Railway Grafters
(to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer)

We are the railway grafters
Working Christmas time for you,
Making the railway better
Cos that’s what railway grafters do.

Building a better railway
Working hard on many routes,
And at the end of Christmas
You’ll get better train commutes.

We’ll be working round the clock
like Santa in his sleigh,
You enjoy your festive cheer
Merry Christmas and New Year.

Over the festive season
As Santa does his Santa thing,
Remember the railway grafters
And all the railway joy we bring!