Journey shortlisted at Railstaff Awards

27th November 2025 was a milestone for our young network - our first ever appearance at industry awards: none other than the prestigious Railstaff Awards! We were shortlisted in the 'Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Team or Person Award' for our 'Pride on Rails' event at this Summer's Railway 200 Greatest gathering at Alstom's Litchurch Lane works. Pippa Armstrong and Joe Brown from the leadership team were present alongside two of the peformers at the event in August, Felicia (Lee Nicholson-Brown) and Connie Tactless (Alexander Garnett-Scherer).

L to R: Alexander (Connie), Joe, Ben, Pip and Lee (Felicia)

While Journey didn't triumph in our category, the Greatest Gathering won the 'Project, Team or Person under £5 million' category and so Pippa and Joe were able to bathe in reflected glory and help Alstom and others involved in organising the event collect the award. Enormous thanks to Alstom and especially Ben Goodwin for their huge generosity and nominating us in the first place - maybe the first of many?

The full nomination is here:

In a landmark moment for both the rail industry and the global LGBTQ+ community, the team behind Journey – the not-for-profit network for LGBTQ+ professionals in transport – orchestrated the world’s first Pride parade on a train at Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering in Derby. This historic event, held during the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains on Saturday 2 August 2025, was a vibrant celebration of inclusion, visibility and unity across the UK rail sector. Those marching across Derby Litchurch Lane Works represented various railway-related companies including Alstom, Angel Trains, AtkinsRéalis, Avanti West Coast, Hitachi Rail and Transport for London (TfL). They were led by fierce drag performers: Alexander Garnett-Scherer, Senior Operations Manager at TfL – known as Connie Tactless ‘Mother of Oyster’; Lee Nicholson-Brown, London Underground train driver – aka Lady Felicia; and Medusa Has Been. Members of the Alstom UK and Ireland Senior Leadership Team also joined the parade, including its Managing Director, Rob Whyte. After a procession across the 90-acre train factory site, the colourful cavalcade paused for a photoshoot in front of Avanti West Coast’s Pride Pendolino No. 390119 ‘Progress’. Unveiled in 2020, it is the first train in the UK to be fully wrapped in the progressive Pride flag. The procession then continued on to the train itself. Following this, the parade moved towards the 1.6 km-long Test Track that curves around Alstom’s Derby site. Here, marchers boarded a Class 345 Aventra train – designed, engineered, manufactured and tested at Litchurch Lane. Normally, the train serves passengers on London’s transformational Elizabeth line, but it returned to Derby for the weekend to offer rides for visitors to The Greatest Gathering. Fittingly, the unit chosen to attend the event – No. 345055 – has carried its own ‘trainbow’ since 2023, making it another perfect vehicle to host the second parade on a train at The Greatest Gathering. A special announcement then signified to passengers the historical significance of the journey, which attracted cheers from the hundreds on board who had witnessed the spectacle. The event was more than a celebration – it was a bold statement of intent. In a time when LGBTQ+ rights face increasing challenges globally, Journey and its co-chairs, Pippa Armstrong (Alstom) and Joe Brown (TfL), demonstrated unwavering leadership and courage. Their message was clear: LGBTQ+ individuals are welcome, valued and safe in the rail industry – as colleagues, customers and community members. Over three days (1-3 August 2025), Alstom welcomed over 40,000 railfans from around the globe at its Derby factory. The trainmaker's sold-out charity extravaganza formed part of the wider festivities for Railway 200. It also marked the first time in almost 50 years that the Derby factory had opened its doors to the public. Organisers specifically asked for both Pride-liveried units to be on display at The Greatest Gathering to showcase the diversity of Britain’s rail industry, and provide a safe, inclusive and visible space for railfans attending the world’s biggest-ever train festival.

Pippa Armstrong (R) and Joe Brown (L) with the Greatest Gathering's award