LNER Surprises Young Rail Enthusiast with ‘Money Can’t Buy’ Experience After Taunts About his Love for Trains
LNER has surprised a young rail enthusiast with a special, behind-the-scenes experience at Leeds station.
8-year-old, Austin, from Suffolk travels around the country with his dad, Ashley, trainspotting as they go. Their journeys are documented on social media, with ‘Austin’s Rail Adventures’ having over 5,600 followers on X, formerly Twitter, as the pair post about their travels.
In November, Austin’s dad wrote on their X account: “3 months ago, Austin told me that he wanted a break from adventures. I didn't know why at the time, but it turns out it was because someone had made fun of him for being into trains.”
Alongside an outpouring of love and support for the young enthusiast from fellow train operators and enthusiasts, LNER invited him to Leeds station for a behind-the-scenes, money can’t buy experience to show that a love for trains is something to be proud of.
Meeting Sadie Stewart, Driver Team Manager at LNER, Austin had a go in the lifelike LNER Azuma simulator, learning to drive at speeds of up to 125mph on the East Coast Main Line. He then swapped for the real thing, taking a tour of a driver’s cab, before heading into the engine room of a Class 91, a locomotive that forms part of LNER’s InterCity 225 fleet.
Austin said: “I have had an amazing day with LNER and I have loved learning how to drive an Azuma train in the simulator before sitting in the driver’s seat of a real train. I like spending time with my dad, seeing lots of different trains, and taking pictures of them on our journeys.”
Sadie Stewart, Driver Team Manager at LNER, said: “It has been a privilege to welcome Austin to Leeds station today, show him round behind-the-scenes, and, hopefully, give him an experience he’ll remember for a long time. When we heard about Austin's story, we wanted to let him know that we're mad about trains too and that having a passion for something is really cool and never something to be embarrassed about.
“At LNER, we always aim to put our customers at the heart of everything that we do, and we hope that, today, we have done that for a very special young man.”