Tom Garlick interviewed by Christopher Nairne

Interview with Tom Garlick recorded by Christopher Nairne on 13 February 2026 at Hitachi Offices, Birmingham. Duration: 3 hours 36 minutes. [Start] Childhood in Lincolnshire and Hong Kong; family, school, friendships, how homosexuality was not talked about then (Section 28), reflecting on how his confidence has grown. [00:18:57] School and adolescence, being in small town, friends, his interests at school, how it relates to his work now; hobbies as a child, shopping outings and train trips with his mother; his dislike of city life, being a countryside person; how similar he is to his grandmother. [00:47:29] Hobbies in childhood, music, arts, Blue Peter, being academia oriented, studying a lot, friends; feeling unsure about his future as a teenager, lack of role models, unsure about what career he wanted; studying media production at local college, experience at college, friendships, coming out to a few peers, part-time job. [01:07:37] Going to University of Lincoln, supportive friends, being more authentic, working in a gay bar, meeting new people, finding his place within the LGBTQIA+ community, discovering a love for musical theatre, drag queens, ability to be his authentic-self there. [01:33:00] Degree in Media production. Work after university on supply chain for a poultry manufacturer, his skills and strengths, creative problem-solving, social skills. Socialising and making friends after moving for work. [01:55:24] 2012, moving to new job, Procurement and supply chain role for a poultry chain, progression to more strategic role, then Head of Procurement, what his responsibilities entailed, his decision to leave in 2023 [end of track 01] [Track 02] Taking a year off, returning to Hong Kong, hobbies, reflecting and planning his life goals; [00:09:39] joining the railway industry, new job at Network Rail (NR) in December 2025, managing corporate supply chain, his responsibilities, national procurement, facilities management, drug and alcohol testing, consultancy services and retail property; working across teams, managing post-contract relationships, using public funds, assessing value, assessing need for outsourcing, when external expertise is needed. [00:23:57] Hybrid working, working from home, commute when in the office, reviewing contracts, KPI (Key Performance Indicator) meetings, supplier performance evaluation, Rail Delivery Group, Great British Rail (GBR), fares and ticketing, future-proofing, writing papers for leadership, mentoring staff, supporting career development, slow decision-making, change resistance and finding Network Rail collaborative, values-led and focused on connecting communities. [end of track 02] [Track 3] Discussing not feeling the need to formally come-out to family, relationships he has had, not feeling the need to have a partner, what being gay means to him; how he used to keep work and his sexuality separate, how it changed over his career, how is personal values are linked to queerness, community and openness, building trust by being opened about himself; employee networks, Building Equality, Pride marches and visible LGBTQIA+ support. [00:20:01] Archway LGBTQIA+ staff network at Network Rail, networking, British Transport Police, safety, LNER, applying conference connections to influence security and passenger safety; future railway challenges including budgets, commercial focus, revenue thinking, gradual change and TOC (Train Operating Company) staff. Integration of AI [artificial intelligence] into the workplace, for contract checking, plain English accessibility, redactions and storytelling tools. [00:39:40] Future rights and equality, social media amplification, fear and ignorance, semi-retirement hopes, hobbies, Land Rover project, birds, charitable procurement or non-executive work for causes such as Birmingham LGBTQIA+ centre; advice to his younger self to listen more, accept being wrong, and reassurance that life will be full and positive. [end of interview]

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.