“The world’s largest celebration of rail” is how Emma Roberts described the worldwide programme of events to mark 200 years of rail, that began with the Stockton to Darlington connection – the first steam railway ever. She was speaking at a reception organised by Muslims in Rail with support from the charity Muslim Aid. The evening’s programme in the Churchill Room, House of Commons, was part of a year-long nationwide partnership-led campaign, “to inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. It invites community, rail and other groups to get involved.”
Baroness Uddin, host of the reception in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons, was spot on in her opening remarks that celebrated the Muslim contribution, past and present, to the nation’s railways, but also called for greater diversity at senior management levels. In his remarks, Sir Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, also recognised the need to do away with “insipid barriers and doors that seem to be shut”. Trish Ashton, Director of Rail and Sponsored Services noted that in TfL, the representation at senior levels did not reflect the diversity of London’s population.
Among other speakers was Muslim Aid UK CEO Khalid Javed, himself with past industrial relations experience in the sector. He noted the charity’s commitment to allocate funds for beneficial works in the UK. A further highlight was a presentation by AbdulMaalik Tailor, founding CEO of Halal Tourism Britain, with illustrations of the many connections between Britain’s railway stations and British Muslim history, beginning with the 1890s.
Professor Andrew Petersen, an archaeological at the University of Bradford, described the Hejaz rail link from Damascus to Medina constructed in the early 1900s as “a railway built by Muslims for Muslims”, with much funding raised in the Subcontinent, for example by Muhammad Inshaullah of Lahore. In his view, such support was possibly inspired by seeing the railways built during the Victorian era. Professor Petersen, in an understatement, remarked on the role of T.E. Lawrence in disrupting the Hejaz Railway during the Great War. Nevertheless, parts connecting to Amman in Jordan were still in use. One of the Muslim rail engineers present at the reception, noted that he was soon due to visit Saudi Arabia on an assignment – sometimes history turns a full cycle!
Attendees at the event were also able to view the exhibition ‘Pioneering Muslims in Rail, A legacy of public service – UK Muslim Railway Stories’. This included a poster on Maria Sheikh, “the first ever Muslim and Asian woman to work for London Underground”, who retired in 2013 after 37 years of service. The evening was made memorable by the presence of retired British Rail and London Transport Muslim personnel, many of whom shared their experiences – and offered advice to new Muslim joiners – in a unique video screened in the course of the programme.
For the Muslims in Rail website, click here.