Patients travelling by train from Cumbria to Newcastle are no longer likely to be left stranded if they take ill – thanks to the persistence of a Keswick town councillor.
Cllr David Burn has worked to win improvements for potentially vulnerable passengers using trains to reach outpatient appointments at the city’s Freeman Hospital.
It was inspired by the awful experience of the late Keswick councillor Martin Pugmire who became “stuck” on an unmanned platform at Newcastle Central Station back in 2017.
Popular Mr Pugmire, then in his early 70s, had been on the way to hospital but became unwell as the Carlisle train pulled into unmanned platform five in the city.
With no rail staff greeting the train and no way of raising the alarm, the late councillor had to stay where he was until he was eventually found in an experience that left him “incensed”.
Cllr Pugmire returned to Keswick determined to put the matter right so that no other outpatient should experience what he did.
Cllr Burn said: “I had a lot of time for Martin. He did a lot for Keswick, was mayor twice and very community-minded. He was back and forwards to Newcastle and at time when he was in particularly bad health, he couldn’t find anybody to help him.
“He was terrified it might happen to someone in worse health than himself.
“He was determined to do something about it, but he wasn’t well enough so I said I would sort it for him.”
Sadly, Cllr Pugmire did not live to see the results of Cllr Burn’s efforts which have now been reported to the town council.
After more than four years of pressure, Cllr Burn has made major progress having worked firstly with Virgin East Coast Trains, then new franchise operators London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Newcastle Central Station and the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
All platforms are now patrolled, there is extensive CCTV coverage, and special emergency help pointy machines are now in place with far better signage.
More is also being done to proactively promote a service available to Cumbrian-based patients called Passenger Assist which allows people to summon and prearrange assistance on or from trains.
Modest Cllr Burn hailed the “co-operation and help” of Louise Rutherford, a senior manager at the station, and Deborah Banks, head of outpatient services at the trust.
He said: “It took a bit longer than I expected but we got there in the end. While nothing is foolproof, I believe that these changes will mean that the chances of the difficulties encountered by our late colleague happening to others has been greatly reduced.”
Cllr Steve Harwood, deputy chairman of Keswick Town Council, hailed the excellent work by Cllr Burn.
And Cllr Allan Daniels said: “I can remember Puggy coming to a council meeting and being very, very cross about this. David leapt on to it right away – so well done you. It won’t help Puggy but it will help other people, it’s great that this has been achieved.”
