Ex-servicemen and women working at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) are taking to stations across the Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express network this week to remember the fallen and raise funds for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Veterans from the business are collecting at major stations between 7am and 10am up to and including Friday 7 November, with Brighton, London Bridge, St Pancras and Gatwick among the locations where passengers will see them. They are hoping to surpass last year's impressive total of £26,000 raised.

For many of the volunteers, Remembrance Day holds deep personal significance. The veterans have established an Armed Forces Network at GTR to support one another and help commemorate their service and colleagues. Jason Brooker, who served with the Royal Marines before joining GTR as Head of Environment, helped collect at Brighton station last year. Although he cannot take part this time, he remains a founding member of the Armed Forces Network and plans to quietly pay his respects at a war memorial on Remembrance Day.

Jason said: “It’s about remembering my friends – seven or eight of them from Afghanistan and Iraq – half of whom died by suicide after they came home. We talk about those who died in service, but not enough about those who lost their lives afterwards because of what they carried.”

Another veteran, Train Maintainer Harry Rothband from Hornsey Depot, will again don his Royal British Legion jacket to support the appeal. Harry volunteers in memory of his grandfather, Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey W Rothband, who fought with the British Expeditionary Force and escaped from Dunkirk in 1940.

Harry said: “His example has meant a great deal to me. I volunteer for the Royal British Legion in his honour, to reflect on the sacrifices made in wartime and to help keep alive the traditions of duty, courage and community that he embodied.”

To mark Remembrance Day, GTR veterans have recorded a short five-line poem which will be broadcast across Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express stations at 10:54am on 11 November. Samantha (Sam) Facey, GTR’s Safety, Health and Security Director and Executive Sponsor of the Armed Forces Network, will then lay a wreath at King’s Cross Station.

Sam said: “This year’s event carries special significance, marking 200 years of rail and 80 years since the end of World War II, offering a poignant reminder of the important role the railway played in supporting the war efforts and connecting communities during times of hardship. It will be an honour to represent GTR and our Armed Forces Network at the King’s Cross ceremony. To everyone at GTR who has served or supported the Armed Forces in any way, your commitment, teamwork, and resilience continue to inspire us.”

The operator is also joining the wider rail industry in offering free travel on Saturday 8 or Sunday 9 November for serving military personnel and veterans travelling to any London station, with return on the Sunday. Free return travel will also be available on Sunday 9 November for those attending Services of Remembrance outside the capital. In addition, 100 rail vouchers have been provided for children and accompanying adults travelling to the ‘Scotty’s Little Soldiers’ remembrance service at the Royal Albert Hall, supporting young people who have lost a parent in the forces.

Image: Govia Thameslink Railway