Craig Neild: the man who has worked at Manchester Piccadilly for 50 years

A train engineer celebrating half a century in the rail industry has said “there’s always a new problem to solve”.

Craig Neild, 66, works for train operator Northern as an outstation fitter at Manchester Piccadilly station.

His role means he is responsible for fixing faults with train parts such as engines, gearboxes, doors and customer information screens.

The married father-of-two said: “It’s so hands-on that it keeps me active.

“Every day is different and there’s always a new problem to solve.

“I have a good working relationship with everyone – drivers, guards, platform staff and maintenance control, as well as the rest of the outstation team.

“I’ve never wanted to go into management as I like to be hands-on.”

Mr Neild said working in the industry has become much more technical since he started out as a British Rail apprentice in 1971 earning £10.20 a week.

New electric Class 331 and diesel Class 195 trains were introduced on the Northern network in July 2019, featuring wifi, air-conditioning, at-seat power sockets and information screens.

Mr Neild admitted: “Technology on the railway is moving very fast and it’s a challenge to keep up.”

Northern, which is publicly owned, is the second largest train operator in Britain, running services across the north of England.

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