Two renowned artists from the South Coast will showcase the frequently overlooked contributions of railway professionals.

On Thursday 12 September 2024, at London Waterloo station, the ‘hidden heroes’ of Network Rail were honoured through the artistry of two Sussex-based painters, coinciding with the release of new data indicating that railway workers are undervalued in terms of public significance when compared to other key workers in Britain.

Over the past year, from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, rail passengers in Great Britain have made a total of 1.61 billion journeys.

A survey undertaken by members of the public showed over half of the participants (56%) ranked health and social care workers as the most crucial key workers.

Among the nine options provided, rail professionals were deemed most important by 3% of respondents.

This figure was even lower in the South East (2%) and South West (1%), yet significantly higher in London at 18%.

To commemorate the launch, Network Rail has collaborated with portrait artists to depict its colleagues on canvas.

Wendy Barratt from Worthing, the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Winner 2023, and Sara Reeve from Brighton, a semi-finalist of the same year, will join Duncan Shoosmith from Wiltshire, the 2019 winner, to paint a selection of unsung heroes.

These individuals are selected for the exceptional dedication they demonstrate in their work. The live pop-up artist studio event took place on Thursday, 12 September.

The completed portraits will be exhibited to the public in 2025 as a segment of Railway 200, a year-long, nationwide program led by partnerships to commemorate the bicentennial of the modern railway and to motivate a new generation of young innovators to pursue careers in the rail industry.

“I was really pleased to be asked be involved in this project and find the idea of painting the portrait of a ‘hidden hero’ a really interesting concept, especially in these days of celebrity. I much prefer the stories behind the scenes, painting portraits of ordinary people who do extraordinary things – or things that we just take for granted but are key to the running of our everyday life.”

Wendy Barratt

“It is a real privilege to be invited to paint a portrait of one of Network Rail’s Hidden Heroes for this fantastic project. Painting someone’s portrait is a really powerful way of connecting with someone, and I’m looking forward to celebrating these Hidden Heroes through the medium of paint.

Their stories at Network Rail are inspiring and I love that it’s their turn in the spotlight – I can’t wait for members of the public to see the portraits come together and even perhaps pick up a brush and tap into their own creativity too!”

Sara Reeve

“I’m really proud to support this campaign. As a mobile operations manager no two shifts are the same. I’m reacting to whatever the day throws at me, from fallen trees on the line, to incidents like vehicles crashing into bridges.

“I love my job, it comes with serious responsibilities and it’s a huge privilege helping to keep passengers safely on the move.”

Anita Bradfield, mobile operations manager, Network Rail, – one of the heroes brought to life on the canvas.

“Seeing first-hand the vitally important work staff do on the railway, connecting people with friends and family and helping to support economic growth, instils an immense sense of personal pride.

Our priority is to deliver a reliable railway that people can trust to get them where they need to be. I hope this campaign helps to inform the public of the essential role our people play in delivering this mission.”

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail

The unveiling of Hidden Heroes coincides with Network Rail’s recent disclosure of a five-year £45.4 billion rail enhancement strategy, which is committed to creating a more straightforward, superior, and eco-friendlier railway, placing a significant emphasis on train service performance.

Network Rail, in collaboration with industry partners, is dedicated to enhancing train performance through a variety of measures.

• Mitigating the effects of external factors such as weather conditions, fatalities, trespassing, and vandalism, which are major contributors to delays, which is being achieved through the adoption of new technologies.
• Efforts are underway to decrease infrastructure failures, targeting over 5,000 kilometres of track for replacement or intensive maintenance, in addition to over 3,000 sets of points (which allow trains to switch tracks) and substantial investment in new signalling systems.
• Enhancing the workforce’s capabilities through investment in training and new technologies is essential for improving decision-making and fostering cross-industry collaboration.
• Enhancing timetables to eliminate bottlenecks, resolve conflicts, and ensure realistic timings at and between stations is crucial for efficient train service.
• Enhanced incident recovery processes can reduce delays for both trains and passengers when disruptions occur.