A plaque at Chapel-en-le-Frith station in Derbyshire was unveiled on Friday, April 26th to commemorate a TransPennine Express (TPE) train driver who has donated the proceeds from his YouTube channel to the Samaritans charity.
The train driver, Don Coffey, is based at Manchester Piccadilly and owns ‘The Best Cab Ride Channel' on YouTube.
He has filmed the view from his driving cab and posted the journeys on his YouTube channel which has over 47,000 subscribers.
With his channel having gone viral among rail enthusiasts and other viewers watching the scenes from his cab, Don decided that he would donate the proceeds to Samaritans.
So far, Don has donated over £20,000 to the Samaritans and expects to donate over £10,000 to the charity next month.
The plaque was created in partnership with the Friends of Chapel-en-le-Frith Station and shows a topography of the local area, with a scenic view over the surrounding hills.
This is the second plaque at the station and joins one dedicated to John Axon and John Creamer.
John Axon was a steam train driver awarded the George Cross posthumously after sacrificing his life to prevent a disaster.
Last year TransPennine Express was recognised for its work in recognising vulnerable people.
My colleagues and friends in the railway profession have to deal with some difficult situations and Samaritans do amazing work to support those who are affected. I'm delighted that the YouTube channel has developed to a point where we can support them in various ways. I couldn't do it without the help of TPE and numerous other rail companies and people that work for them. It's also a product of the people that watch the videos and my gratitude goes to them too.
Don Coffey
The Friends group was formed in 2008 and has transformed the station, with its great views over the western edge of The Peak District, over succeeding years. Don has been an active member from the start, and it's great that we, through Don, have been able to combine the completion of this project with publicity for Samaritans, whose special connections with the Railway Industry are of so much help.
John Brook, Chairman of the Friends of Chapel-en-le-Frith Station Group
Don's fundraising for Samaritans has made an incredible difference to people in need. His donations alone have allowed us to answer over 6,500 potentially lifesaving calls. Don and his viewers are helping us to be there for thousands of people when they have nowhere else to turn, and we can't thank him enough.
Dave Brown, from Samaritans
Don is an absolute credit to TPE and a shining example of the great colleagues we have working day in and day out to raise the bar for our customers.
At TPE we work closely with Samaritans and other suicide prevention charities to equip our colleagues with the skills to recognise and support vulnerable people on the railway. Don's fundraising efforts will have helped, if not saved, thousands of people in their time of need.
Rob Cox, Operations Director at TransPennine Express
Well done Don, super effort.