Babak Erfani interviewed by Christopher Nairne

Interview with Babak Erfani recorded by Chris Nairne on 25 February 2026. Duration: 3 hours 54 minutes 59 seconds. [Start, track 01] Childhood in Brighton, family background, mother from Brighton, Iranian father, parents divorce; mother’s remarriage, his stepfather and brothers, his relationship with his mother; origin of his love for railways, influence of his grandfather who worked for Southern Railway. Relationship with his father, visits and holidays to the USA as a child, family living in USA. Childhood in Brighton, hobbies, family relationships. Education, schools attended and friendships, focus on academia. [00:30:00] His relationship with faith and religion, developing faith in adulthood, support and positive influence of a priest at school; earlier coming out to a friend at 14, being outed and bullied; coming out to parents at 16, their reactions. Relationship with his brothers, being a role model as the eldest. Hobbies as a child, relationship with grandparents, friendships. [00:51:07] Reason for choosing to study at University at Loughborough, being openly gay from the start, joining the LGBTQIA+ association, becoming Communications Officer then Chair, reviving the group, providing welfare support, organising LGBTQIA+ events and creating a visible queer student community; how much he enjoyed his experience at university and his involvement in the LGBTQIA+ society and student union. [01:20:48] Reflects on the society’s growth since he has left university, increased diversity. How difficult it is to handover projects to others, example work on Crossrail programme. Why and how he changed his initial career plans to be a commercial pilot to working on the railways. [01:40:38] October 2009, join NR graduate scheme, commercial and project management on Crossrail, track works, bridge demolition and rebuilding, station remodelling and depot work; later Wessex route sponsor, setting up a signalling projects team and becoming senior sponsor for signalling and digital rail, delivering major schemes including Feltham and Woking resignalling. [01:48:01] NR Consulting role in the USA as Associate Director of Project and Programme Management, working on Boston commuter rail decarbonisation, Amtrak train fleet work and California High Speed Rail. Work on capital projects, role of sponsor/sponsorship in rail, responsibilities of handling multi-million pounds budget, moving from Crossrail to sponsorship. [end of track 01] [Track 02] Role as a consultant, drawing on past experiences. US consultancy work and differences between UK and USA rail systems. [00:13:06] Role as Principal Portfolio Manager at NR, supporting capital delivery from finance function. [00:27:51] Being a founding Chair of Archway, Network Rail’s LGBTQIA+ employee network, how Archway was founded in 2013, how it grew, early events, impact. [00:34:48] Why doing Pride is important, his involvement in Archway, actions and events he has taken part of across the country, influence on other networks, Stonewall awards to NR and Archway. [00:42:50] Discusses diversity and inclusion, pinkwashing/rainbow-washing and the need for policies and safe working environments beneath visible Pride messaging. [00:58:31] Reflects on proud moments with Archway and in his career, NR values and culture, enjoying people management, mentoring, having observed NR becoming more inclusive. His Iranian heritage, his identity, intersectionality, his faith. [01:20:01] Marriage, how he met his husband, family life with husband and dog. His hopes for Great British Railways. [01:35:13] Advice to younger self about confidence and being yourself; Archway as the hardest project to leave because chairing it had become part of his identity. [01:41:59] Receiving an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to Network Rail and diversity in transport, Buckingham Palace visit and meeting Prince William. [01:48:15] Final reflections on a varied railway career [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.