Northern prepares for Remembrance Day
Remembrance events are to held across the network on Thursday 11 November – and on Sunday – with customers and colleagues from the rail industry joining Northern staff in remembering those who gave their lives.
Last week Northern also held the annual Poppy Appeal at Manchester Victoria Station with Northern staff – and some special guests - take to the station to raise money for the Poppy Appeal.
Singer Martin Ward entertained passengers passing through the station and there were performances from Chetham's School of Music.
Money was raised at the station for the Poppy Appeal and for those who couldn’t make it to Manchester Victoria, donations can be made via the British Legion’s website.
Northern is also offering complimentary travel this weekend – and on Thursday 11 November – across the entire network for service personnel.
Those wearing an armed forces uniform or carrying a military ID card, as well as cadets in uniform and veterans who display valid identification (such as the MOD issued Veteran's Badge) will be entitled to free travel on all Northern services.
The hundreds of licensed poppy sellers, who have been volunteering in the lead up to this weekend, will also be able to take advantage of the offer.
Elsewhere on the network Northern staff and community groups will pay their own tributes to the armed forces:
- Wreaths will be laid at Newcastle, Darlington, Carlisle, Middlesbrough, Sowerby Bridge, Mexborough, Penistone, Morpeth and Barrow-in-Furness stations.
- A memorial service will be held at Manchester Victoria station on Thursday 11 November
- Community groups have been busy decorating stations, including Wetheral in Cumbria, where bunting and poppies are on display.
- At Bishops Auckland station, a wreath will be presented to David Million and the team from Bishop Trains, a third-party retailer at the station, who have raised more than 13,000 since 2014 while collection for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
- Community groups along the South Fylde line have created displays as poignant reminders. Volunteers have installed ‘The Silent Soldier’ outlines in colourful planters at stations and have created their own plastic poppies made from recycled materials.
- At Manchester Victoria, a memorial service will be held at the station at 10:55 at Soldier’s Gate on Thursday 11 November with the railway Chaplin Phil Brawn. Chetham’s school of music will also be providing a bugler to play the last post and a two-minute silence will be observed.