Light rail
Rising star of the light rail world Tom Rowe receives global recognition for his work to keep the West Midlands Metro safe for staff and passengers
T
om Rowe is a man on a mission to make a difference for customers and staff on the West Midlands Metro. Those efforts have been recognised with the prestigious Rising Star award at the recent Global Light Rail Awards. Based at Metro’s Wednesday depot, he has played a vital role in making travelling by tram an even safer experience, working closely with the police to further reduce the already low levels of crime reported on the network. “I was honoured at just being nominated for the award, but to be recognised for the work that I do every day is surreal,” Tom said. “I have always wanted to make a difference for our customers and staff, and it has been a long road with many challenges and one we must walk every day. “I smile when I see the award in my office, as in my mind it isn’t a win for me, it is a win for everyone who has helped to make the tramway even safer. I couldn’t do any of this on my own, and the team I work with is not limited to the MML (Midland Main Line); it expands so much further. I would though like to thank my manager, Anthony Stanley, who has supported me and believed in me from day one.” 44 | January 2021
This month marks Tom’s fourth year as Security and Insurance Officer at the West Midlands Metro tram network. It was a journey which actually started with National Express as a bus driver, where his CV grew as he took on roles related to CCTV and insurance.
Although a lot of my work is reactive, I’m looking to develop new systems to help reduce the chance of incidents being repeated “The three main aspects of my role are security, CCTV and insurance, and each has different challenges and responsibilities,” he said. “I also look after the partnerships with the police, local authorities, BIDs and other organisations, and together we’ve made a positive impact,
further reducing already low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour across the network. “Fortunately, serious incidents on the Metro are rare, and trams offer one of the safest modes of transport. However, when I receive reports from a member of staff of an incident, whether it is crime-related or a case of anti-social behaviour, I’ll report to the police or the Safer Travel Partnership (STP) with as much information as possible, if it has not already been reported. “Once I’ve reviewed the CCTV, I will prepare the footage as potential evidence, capturing stills of the offender/s before sending them to the police or STP so they can start trying to identify those responsible as quickly as possible. “If I see a trend or pattern forming, I also look to work with the police and other partners to set up operations or additional patrols. I look after all aspects of CCTV for the business, including those onboard trams at stops and other key locations such as the Wednesday depot, and thanks to the support of network managers I’m now able to download footage even quicker.” As well as reviewing the CCTV, securing it and sharing it with the relevant managers via the railbusinessdaily.com
