Alex Fowles interviewed by Laura Stoffers

Interview with Alex Fowles conducted by Laura Stoffers on 8th October 2024 at the National Railway Museum, York. Session 1 of 3. Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes 46 seconds. [Start of interview, session 1, track 01] Fowles discusses growing up in Nottinghamshire and Norfolk, childhood interest in railways through Thomas the Tank Engine, family links to stations and trainspotting with his grandmother, and joining the North Norfolk Railway junior railway club aged 14. He describes learning railway roles through heritage volunteering, beginning with station duties and onboard ticket checking, then joining the diesel department as a Drivers Assistant aged 16, progressing through driver training to become a diesel multiple unit driver and later qualifying as a diesel locomotive driver. [00:13:28] He discusses studying Economic & Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, using heritage railway connections to secure a placement with Great Western during the Dawlish Seawall collapse, and joining the First Group Rail Operations Graduate Scheme, working with First Great Western, TransPennine Express, South Western Railway and LNER. He met his partner at First Great Western, describes their long-distance relationship, shared rail careers, wedding plans, and moving to LNER in part to support the relationship. [00:19:04] Fowles outlines his current operations-side customer experience responsibilities, working with Train Managers and stations, and explains how practical heritage railway knowledge helps him gain respect and solve operational problems through railway networks. He reflects on shift work, railway social life, and friendship groups that include many LGBTQIA+ people, including his fiancé’s friendship group among drivers. [end of track 01] [Track 02] Fowles describes finding railway and university communities where he could be himself, noting increased LGBTQIA+ visibility over time, the importance of online information for young LGBTQIA+ people, and the presence of many LGBTQIA+ colleagues in rail, while questioning company diversity statistics. [00:08:57] He reflects on becoming more confident through volunteering, customer service, public speaking and dating, and on meeting his partner Graham. He says his identity has not been an issue at work, although colleagues sometimes assumed his gender-neutral “partner” was a woman; he tends to come out naturally when relevant. [00:27:10] Fowles discusses placements with First Bus during the Olympics and Great Western in planning and projects, including timetabling around floods, and explains how planning knowledge later helped his operational career. He describes LNER responsibilities in operational standards, legal compliance for train running, staff qualifications, rule book changes and station whistle procedures, plus previous roles as Compliance Manager for stations, managing train crew at Leeds and Guards Manager. He values supporting colleagues’ career ambitions and passing on the help he received. [end of session 1]

This interview was made as part of People Pride and Progress (PPP) project. The project was initiated in 2023 to record the stories and memories of the LGBTQIA+ community in a new oral history archive over two years. It aimed to connect past, present and future through intergenerational interviews, offering opportunities for colleagues across all parts of the rail industry to connect, reflect on and learn from each other’s lived experiences while creating an archive of oral history interviews.