A non-train and a non-driver

[numeral]

This from a comment on the blog of Rachel North of London (http://www.rachelnorthlondon.blogspot.com/)

Scroll down to and look at the comments of the post "Hero of the Year now an M.B.E"

Not wishing to denigrate any of the actions of police on the day, not ONE WORD has been said about the driver of Train 311, Tom Nairn. I joined Tom's train at Kings Cross,travelling in the cab with him on my way to work as a fellow driver, based at Acton Town. I took the first couple of batches of walking wounded to Russell Square and was probably the first member of staff to meet any collegue at the station. Tom stayed behind in the first car, doing what we as drivers are paid to do, looking after his train and his passengers on it. He helped some by applying tourniques and reassurring others. He saw things that even trained police officers found themselves unable to cope with, but most importantly had to face it on his own before help arrived probably 40 minutes later, a scene of utter devastation in almost total darkness. He has never been mentioned or praised, he has remained dignified and quiet, and has never returned to drive a train. Recently he applied for some compensation through his union. The response from the Met Police was "We have no knowledge of this person having been involved in this incident and therefore will not be processing his claim further." Rather odd because Tom and I were interviewed by police for around three hours after the incident. The press coverage of the other 'heroes' has left him feeling completely empty and devalued. Pity when the the reaction of Police and certain members of station staff are lauded he has been completely forgotten.

Ray Wright
Train Operator
Acton Town Depot

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According to the official story Germaine Lindsay blew up train 331. The train Rachel North was on, according to Ray Wright, was 311. What was the name of the suicide bomber who blew up 311?

Fifth suicide bomber urgently required. Please apply within.

[Wokeman]

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Do you have any idea why the police treated your colleague in this manner? What does the union representative have to say about it?

[numeral]

[Wokeman]

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Thanks for your reply.

[numeral]

This is the story of Gary Stevens. He also says 311.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4566632.stm

'I will take 7 July to the grave'
Behind the worldwide headlines after the 7 July bombings lay hundreds of individual stories of bravery, hope and loss. Among those who experienced the horrors was Gary Stevens, duty manager of Russell Square Tube station.

It's a day I'll never forget. It will go to the grave with me. It won't ever go away.

On the seventh of July I should have started at 9 O'Clock. I woke early, I couldn't sleep and decided to come into work early.

At 8.54 all the lights flickered in the office. We were looking down the platform and we saw a light in the westbound tunnel. The driver of train 311 and about 30 customers, some of them seriously injured, had got out of the train themselves when the bomb had gone off, and we helped them up.

I asked the driver, I said: "What's happened?" And he didn't say it was a bomb, he just said: "Something terrible's happened, I don't know what, but something terrible's happened."

I jumped down on to the track and made my way along the tunnel. The smoke and the dust began got thicker and thicker and I couldn't see beyond my hand at one point. It wasn't until I got to the train and see a young lad who'd had his leg blown off that it dawned on me then it was a bomb.

I got into the first car and spoke to quite a few of the injured and it's a sight that I'll never ever forget for the rest of my life.

I spent 40 minutes down there on my own before the fire brigade got there and it was the longest 40 minutes of my life, it seemed like four months.

I just reassured them - there was nothing else I could do, it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a balloon.

We were escorting customers back down the tunnel. Those who could walk we supported and we walked along with them, those who couldn't we put into sheets and blankets and carried them.

For the immediate time after what had happened I relived it time and time again, it was like a recurring nightmare.

Back to work

One of the reasons I came back to work quickly after was to prove to the people who carried this atrocity out that they're not going to affect us.

It's my job, it's what I do. I take pride in what I do. I'd do the same thing again tomorrow as I did on the seventh. If people need help that's what we're here for - to help.

If we were successful in only saving one I feel we've achieved something.

Hopefully we saved quite a few and there are still families out there who will be spending Christmas together and hopefully that's a reflection upon the staff and emergency services at Russell Square.

It was actually Ray Wright who came out of the tunnel but Gary Stevens wasn't to know that.