Employees from Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern have been honoured at Buckingham Palace after being recognised for exceptional service on the railway and within their local communities.

Staff from a wide range of roles, including station operations and ticket office teams, were invited to Royal Garden Parties held throughout May in acknowledgement of contributions considered to have gone beyond normal duties.

Southern driver Matthew De Le Vingne was among those who attended the event on 12 May and met the King. The Burgess Hill-based driver, 42, was recognised following an incident near Eastbourne last year involving a vulnerable teenage girl beside the railway.

After spotting the girl close to the track, Matthew alerted the signaller to halt train movements in the area before leaving his cab to speak with her. He then brought her into the driver’s cab for safety, where he spent time listening to her concerns and reassuring her. The service later continued to Eastbourne, where Matthew stayed with the girl, assisting with injuries until emergency services arrived.

Hitchin Station Manager Karen Chudovszky also attended after being nominated by colleagues, who praised her commitment to passengers and support for station staff. Karen began her railway career in 2013 as a platform dispatcher at Arlesey and took over as station manager at Hitchin in January 2023.

Others recognised included Tim Kimber, Southern’s Competency Development Manager based in Barnham, who volunteers to support colleagues affected by traumatic incidents through the Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) programme, and Hugh Luff from Arundel station ticket office, who coordinated donations of clothing and sleeping bags worth more than £10,000 for people affected by the war in Ukraine.

“I am extremely proud of all our staff who work hard every day to deliver a great service for the near-million passengers who travel on our network each day.

“With nearly 8,000 people working here, our railway is full of great stories to tell – just like every one of our destinations.

“Sometimes, these are great examples of going above-and-beyond for customers or showing real kindness in challenging situations. I am delighted to see our people recognised at Buckingham Palace for their contributions to the railway.”

Ruth Busby, GTR’s People Director.