The station manager: ‘I pray throughout the day and God helps me fix problems’

My name is David Morgan, and I’m a duty station manager for Great Western Railway at London Paddington. The duty manager is the focal point of the station in many respects. Our primary focus is to ensure that the train service runs properly and, where there is disruption, help people on their way. For any one shift, there are 70 staff at the station. I never know at the start of the day exactly what’s going to happen. 

The reason I joined the railway was the focus on people. Nearly every part of life is on the railway. We talk with people who are travelling to funerals, big celebrations and job interviews. There’s nothing more pleasurable than seeing someone run down platform one to meet someone under the clock that they haven’t seen for a while. At the same time, you get called to all sorts of issues to do with people in trouble on the trains; people who are grieving or have suffered from domestic abuse who arrive at the station. 

One of the biggest challenges in my role is addressing mental health issues, both for passengers and staff. Paddington is a high-pressure environment – 600 trains depart daily, making it the second busiest station in London. The stress of delays and other issues affect everyone. Despite this, one of the joys of my work is seeing staff progress in their roles. 

I’ve always felt that God sent me here; it was never my plan. I often pray through my working day, and I find God helps me address problems with love, generosity and openness. That’s not always easy, as people don’t always behave as they should. 

We had some major disruption recently and a gentleman was complaining bitterly about how things had gone wrong. I tried to explain the situation to him and, somehow, the conversation naturally turned to my faith. He seemed more interested in that. I want people to leave me feeling like they’ve encountered God in some way. 

I would ask for prayer that I would draw God more and more into the busy parts of my life. This environment is so hectic. I want to find more ways in which I can be aware of God’s presence, support and guidance – not just for my benefit, but for everyone I encounter.