NINE YEAR-OLD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY HAS A JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

Recently, Ned, a remarkable nine-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and neurodivergent, had a dream come true when he was allowed to travel in the driver's cab from Liverpool Street to Enfield.

Ned's passion for trains, notably the Transport for London (TFL) network, is well-known among his family and friends. His room is adorned with TfL posters and tube maps, reflecting his deep-seated enthusiasm for public transport. He is fascinated with automatic sliding doors and has a keen interest in lifts and elevators.

Recognising Ned's passion, former operations and standards manager, Dave Pike, and Michael Maddox, head of operations standards, collaborated to make this cab ride possible. Their joint effort included a full risk assessment to ensure no safety regulations would be breached. During the ride, Ned's joy and enthusiasm were palpable. He impressed Jason Theobald, driver, with his knowledge of the control buttons, explaining their functions accurately, the colour of the signals, and the audible sounds in the cab. His delight in operating the door controls, a feature he loves in regular train carriages, was infectious.

After arriving at Enfield Town, Ned decided he wanted to greet passengers on the first coach as they boarded the train, welcoming them as they did so. "After the memorable experience, Ned felt inspired to share his experiences during a presentation at school. This was a significant step for him, as he often felt nervous speaking in front of his classmates. The experience boosted his confidence and deepened his passion and knowledge about trains," shared Chris, Ned's father.

Speaking on making Ned's day so special, Mark Griffin, operations manager, said, "It's not often we are able to arrange these types of activities, but the smile on young Ned's face and the way the two drivers conducted themselves were an absolute credit to ARL." 

A special mention to Jason Theobald (driver at Chingford), Tereance Urch (trainee driver), Mark Griffin (operations manager), Michael Maddox (head of operations standards), and Dave Pike (former operations standards manager) for making this possible.