60 SECONDS WITH...

Every Month on Exchange Extra, we take sixty seconds out to get to know our team. Follow us on our journey to connect all members of our network.

This Month, we welcome Robyn Ashley!

Name: Robyn Ashley 

Job title: Communications Manager 

Location: Palestra 

Hi Robyn! Please sum up your role in one sentence: I support the Communications team with a focus on external communications, which includes media, social media and stakeholder communication. 

Tell us about your journey to ARL…: This is just my second week working at ARL! I recently moved here from the communications team at the City of London Police, which is the smallest territorial force in the country but has a national remit for fraud and cybercrime. 

Before joining the City of London Police, I worked in the press team at Sotheby’s auction house. It’s quite well known as it’s where Banksy shredded an artwork mid-auction! I was working the evening it happened, and really did not expect it to spark so much media interest.   

What do you look forward to most working at ARL? 

I’m really excited to get out and about on the network, to see how things work behind the scenes and meet the people who keep the network running.  

I grew up near Hatch End and now live in Bushey, so the London Overground has always played a big part in getting me from A to B. I can remember when LO took over the Watford Junction line – it was a major upgrade from the old Silverlink trains! 

In your career so far, what are you most proud of? 

In my last job, I worked with my colleagues on our force’s campaign to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The Square Mile has a thriving night-time economy, but unfortunately can be an unsafe space for women. The aim of the campaign was to ensure a fun but safe night out for all in the City. This included promoting our welfare tents, the ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative and resources available to licensed venues to prevent spiking.  

Tell us about your most memorable railway trip… 

It would probably have to be a train journey in Italy. I was volunteering on an excavation in a tiny town near Naples as part of my degree. We had the weekends off so decided to take the train down to Sorrento to do some sightseeing. 

It was the middle of summer, so the train was boiling hot and packed with people - plus the person next to me was playing Candy Crush on his phone at full volume for the entirety of the two-hour journey. Although it was a horrible journey, the end destination made it all worth it!  

If you could book a ticket to any destination, where would you go? 

I would love to take the Caledonian Sleeper up to Scotland. I’ve never been as the journey has always put me off, so I’d imagine it would be a great way to travel there – a good night’s sleep and incredible views when you wake up!