Rail Pastors are trained volunteers who look out for vulnerable and distressed people on Britain’s rail network. With their light blue hats and jackets, they are beacons of hope to rail passengers. Typically, they go from carriage to carriage on trains, keeping their eyes peeled for those who are down on their luck. While many people spend Saturday nights snuggled up at home in front of the television, the rail pastors are headed out to work the rails. They travel to train stations and wander around, sometimes simply sitting with people who are vulnerable or distressed. Whether they’ve had too much to drink, run out of money to get home, got blisters from wearing high heels, or are in a much darker place, they’re offered kind words and a listening ear. Rail Pastors hand out sweets, foil blankets, and slippers, reaching out to those most in need. "We’re showing God’s love in action on the street,” said volunteer Alan Kimmitt, minister at St. Columba’s Church. He explained that while Rail Pastors are faith-based, they don’t preach. “If people want to talk about spiritual things, that’s okay, but we don’t push our beliefs.” Sadly, approximately 250 people take their own lives on the railway annually in the UK. The British Transport Police (BTP) are called to over 9,000 pre-suicidal and mental health incidents each year. That’s why the railway system provides suicide prevention training for frontline staff, who work side-by-side with BTP and NHS community nurses to provide assistance during incidents on the railways. Last year, they made 1,269 life-saving interventions with the help of the Rail Pastors. Their mission is to reach out to people in moments of crisis, offering compassion and understanding, taking the time to listen to their concerns in order to move them to a place of safety.
