Andy Munns
Robin Tandy, one of the country’s longest-serving train drivers, has retired today after one final drive.
The South Western Railway driver piloted his final train accompanied by family, friends and former colleagues as he took to the rails for the last time.
Robin was the driver at the controls of the South Western Railway service that collided with a GWR service in Salisbury’s Fisherton Tunnel in October of last year.
The experienced driver acted impeccably in the incident. It’s thought his actions prevented a higher number of casualties and possibly deaths.
The incident happened when the train Mr Tandy was driving didn’t stop when he applied the brakes. As a result, the train slid as it approached the junction and tunnel approaching Salisbury. Low adhesion was the cause. Robin stayed at the controls before throwing himself to the non-driver side of the cab ahead of the collision.
Robin was severely injured in the crash, having to be cut free from the train. He was then air-lifted to the hospital. He has since undergone surgery and rehabilitation for the injuries sustained in the crash. Unfortunately, he has been unable to return to work for nine months since the accident.
Management at the Salisbury depot arranged for Mr Tandy to drive one last train. He was accompanied by Pete Cook, a Driving Instructor based at Salisbury, for the drive. Senior Salisbury guard, Lee Jones, completed the train crew for the journey.
He took control of the 12:22 Salisbury to Yeovil Junction service via Westbury today (9th August 2022). His family, including his grandchildren, friends, and colleagues. The train then returned the same way, arriving back in Salisbury at 16:12.
The drive today was the final act in a 60-year railway career that began when he was 15. He started his driving career in the 1970’s clocking up around 50 years behind the controls. During his career, Robin has worked on steam and diesel trains and seen a transition from the old semaphore signalling system to LED systems used today.
The route picked for the final drive features some of the last semaphore signalling remaining in the area. The station at Yeovil Penn Mill is in some ways a relic of the railway and has few updates compared to other places on the local network.
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