With the documentary almost finished and my journey coming to an end, I’ve taken the time to reflect on the process.
When I first had the idea for my topic, I thought I was being too ambitious. I thought it would be near impossible to find a train driver willing to speak openly to me as a student. And, for a while I did struggle to find interviewees, but I persevered.
I emailed over 15 train operating company within the UK and spoke to numerous media teams asking whether they knew any drivers who would potentially speak to me.
For a short period, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to find a case study and I would have to change my topic idea. Despite this, I remained hopeful and this paid off. I heard back from Jamie and, within hours, from Andy. I was so pleased that they had agreed to speak to me about such a sensitive issue. I was also proud that I had managed to secure not one, but two case studies, which would allow me to portray their varying journeys.
It was no surprise that it was easier to find interviewees revolving around organisational support. They were clearly more than willing to help highlight the support available to drivers.
What I have learnt from my interviewees
Jamie and Andy
I found it admirable that Jamie and Andy have both turned a negative experience into a force for positive change by helping other drivers who have witnessed fatalities at work.
Jamie chose to become a Deputy Driver Manager at London Waterloo so that she could provide support to her staff in all circumstances.
Whilst Andy is working closely with the trade union, ASLEF, to push for more support to be put in place for drivers. It was very interesting to hear about the work he is doing around this - it is something I had never considered before (see previous blog for more details on his work).
Although Jamie and Andy lead different lives, both showed the determination to not let the event they were involved in, negatively affect the rest of their lives. I hope that this will inspire other drivers who have experienced a fatality to remain optimistic and positive.
Organisational support
Before embarking on my research into the topic, I wasn’t sure whether there was any support for drivers.
After extensive research and interviews, I was surprised at just how much there is, and I feel proud that I have been able to highlight this support to my audience.
If I could wish for anything after completing this project, it would be that I have made at least one driver affected by railway suicide feel like they are not alone and encouraged them to seek help.
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