Greater Anglia launched the second series of its ‘Life on Rails’ with Michael Portillo as the special guest in the first episode.

Hosted by members of Greater Anglia’s Corporate Affairs team, Lucy Wright and Dominic Rosso, the ‘Life on Rails’ podcast offers passengers an insider’s view of one of the country’s largest train operators.

The second season of the magazine-style podcast series will feature a diverse array of special guests recounting their extraordinary tales.

Additionally, key Greater Anglia employees will discuss their contributions to establishing Greater Anglia as the UK’s most timely and dependable train operator.

The series will also highlight special features demonstrating Greater Anglia’s commitment to enhancing passenger experiences.

Guests will include fleet and operations staff, who will explore how the new trains have revolutionized rail travel in East Anglia.

In future episodes, members of the Greater Anglia Executive Leadership Team, along with Network Rail representatives, will discuss ongoing investments in rail infrastructure and their contributions to achieving unprecedented performance levels.

Every episode will explore recent Greater Anglia news highlights in more detail. Lucy and Dom will discuss the company’s most discussed stories and reveal some information that has not been shared before.

The podcast introduces a new segment titled ‘Destination in the Spotlight,’ where Community Rail Partnership Officers from various regions will highlight the scenic spots along their routes and discuss the engaging events they are organizing.

The inaugural episode features journalist, broadcaster, and railway enthusiast Michael Portillo. He will discuss his passion for Railway Journeys, the allure of rail travel, and the aspects he finds most appealing about the Greater Anglia network.

“I have a lot of fondness for Greater Anglia, and it was a pleasure to join their Life on Rail podcast.

The introduction of the new trains has been particularly impressive, and I have been struck by their acceleration and punctuality. They also look very smart while being quiet and therefore do not upset my soundman if we are ever filming.“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend time in East Anglia and the Greater Anglia staff very often come out and greet us. They want to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, and I am truly grateful.”

Michael Portillo

In the premiere episode, Lucy and Dom will converse with Georgia Payne, Greater Anglia’s Safeguarding and Community Safety Manager. In light of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, Georgia will talk about the ways in which they assist individuals dealing with mental health challenges. In a talk similar in style to GTRs Cheif Medical Officer Dr Danielle Eaton released back in May

Thalia Rushmore is the Community Rail Partnership Officer for the East Suffolk Lines, linking Ipswich to Lowestoft and Felixstowe.

She joins the podcast to talk about the picturesque locations accessible along these routes and to showcase the exciting events they have planned.

“The Life on Rails podcast is back. We are truly excited to give passengers a peek behind the curtain of Greater Anglia and showcase how we are putting passengers first.

It was a true delight to welcome Michael Portillo to the podcast and hear how his affinity with the railway began and why he believes that rail is the best way to travel.”

Dominic Rosso, Greater Anglia’s Senior Media and Public Relations Manager

The second series of Life on Rails, starting with episode 1, is now available. You can listen to it on all the usual podcast platforms and at greateranglia.co.uk/podcast.