The Right Lines
Shelley Atlas has been described as the driving force behind a group for rail passengers with an impressive track record. Frank le Duc reports
When the Brighton Line Commuters relaunched their website recently, a government minister came along to do the honours. In part, that is a tribute to the hard work, determination and longstanding dedication of Shelley Atlas. She joined the group when it was little more than a buffet car club shortly after it started in 1985. Within months she relaunched the group to a wider membership under a new name – the current name – becoming its “chairlady”, a post that she has held for 27 years.
At the website relaunch, Transport Minister and Lewes MP Norman Baker paid tribute to the Brighton Line Commuters. Despite the name, the group also represents passengers travelling to work from the Eastbourne and Worthing areas. At the same event, one of those present described Shelley Atlas as the driving force behind the group.
Another, Southern Railway’s franchise improvement director David Scorey, said that Miss Atlas and her colleagues were “a shining light for rail user groups”. He conceded that he didn’t always see eye to eye with the group’s committee members – but he did listen to them. Notably, Southern paid heed to their campaign a few years ago to reinstate an early morning service to London Bridge. Southern scrapped the 6.41am service in December 2008. Within a few months it was reinstated as the 6.37am.
Miss Atlas, who has lived in Hove since 1976, said: “There are just over 100 members but there are a lot more who know what we do. It costs £12 a year to be a member. I think it’s great value. We deal direct with the management teams of the rail companies and we get feedback within 24 hours nine times out of ten.
“We take up so many issues for people. Not just the high-powered stuff, which is important, of course. But the day-to-day stuff like heating on trains, lighting, platforms which aren’t suitable. We’re looking at the taxi situation and the bus situation out the front of Brighton Station. We look at anything that can affect your daily commute. We’re like a customer service department.”
She said that Southern worked with the Brighton Line Commuters to come up with a solution to bicycle and motorcycle parking at Brighton Station. And the company switched platforms for a train coming into Hove so hundreds of commuters could change trains more quickly, safely and conveniently on their way home from work.
Miss Atlas, who works as an administrator for a London law firm, said that the buffet cars in the old slam-door trains had a real sense of community among regular passengers. That’s no longer the case. But even today many commuters tend to sit in the same seats and small groups still get to know each other as travelling companions and look out for each other.
She said: “A passenger was on the train back from London Bridge and I knew he was a Victoria commuter. I asked him what he was doing. He said he’d been to Brighton but had fallen asleep and ended up at London Bridge. People used to wake up in the depot because they’d fallen asleep and staff hadn’t checked the trains properly before they went off to the depot.
“The trains are definitely better than they were. People still understandably complain when there are problems but things are better. There should be a film made – Carry on Commuting. It would be hilarious.”
Miss Atlas said: “A couple of years ago we borrowed Brighton Station and held a craft event with stalls on the concourse and down the platforms to raise funds for the children’s hospital. And twice in the past 20 years we’ve done heart resuscitation campaigns for rail passengers.” They were proud moments which were possible, she said, because despite the complaints the group has a good relationship with the train companies. “They work with us,” she said. And hearing a member of the government praise her efforts, you can see why.
