A CONDUCTOR from Denton has received an award after helping a passenger during a medical emergency on board a train.
James Johnston was travelling on a Northern service to Manchester when the passenger approached him and said he felt unwell.
Despite the train being busy, James made space and appealed on the public address system for anyone with medical experience to come forward.
During the journey, the man fell ill and a retired A&E consultant stepped up to help while James called 999.
During his conversation with the call handler, James agreed the train should continue to Manchester instead of stopping at a station in a rural area and waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The conductor, who has worked for Northern for seven years, helped to keep the passenger comfortable and reassured everyone on board while updating the call handler.
By the time they got to Manchester, the man’s condition had improved slightly and staff from Network Rail agreed to take over and wait with him until the ambulance arrived.
“It was a serious incident but we couldn’t stop the train in the middle of nowhere and wait for help – that wasn’t really an option,” said James.
“We decided that unless things deteriorated, it would be quicker and easier to get everyone into Manchester and get assistance there.
“It was the first time I had experienced something like that, but I was lucky there was someone with medical experience on board and another conductor who could help.”
The retired A&E consultant, who wishes to remain anonymous, said James was “absolutely brilliant” and he was “really impressed” with how the conductor dealt with the situation.
James was presented with a Conductor of the Month award for his actions.
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “We’re extremely proud of James for remaining calm and professional in a difficult situation. We would also like to thank the member of the public who stepped up to help the passenger who fell ill.
“Incidents like these show our conductors, who are on board every service, are not just there to check tickets. They work hard to keep millions of passengers safe every year.”