In August it was announced that the Railway Mission has invested in the chaplaincy service and increased the support to the railway industry to help staff through the recent industrial problems faced by many of the train operating companies.
As well as the addition of five new full-time chaplains to the chaplaincy team, the hours of some of the part time chaplains has also been increased.
Chaplaincy is at the sharp edge of Christian outreach and having an open door to the railway industry for an openly Christian ministry demonstrates the value of Christianity in a secular society.
Bringing hope
The railway industry has experienced a time of extreme difficulty; timetable changes, strikes and passenger dissatisfaction have all had a negative impact. Bringing the hope of Christ into these situations is the job of the Railway Mission, founded in 1881.
Liam Johnston, Executive Director, said: ‘As a chaplaincy service, we have responded to the needs of the industry and the railway staff by increasing, as far as possible, the support we provide to rail staff and British Transport Police. We hope that this increased support will help alleviate some of the pressures faced by front-line staff on the railway.’
