In an industry marked by rapid technological change, two remarkable careers demonstrate the continuity and dedication that underpin modern rail transport. Alstom honored two of its UK employees—Nigel Freeman and Alex W Brown—each with over 50 years of service in the rail industry.
The two received long-service awards at a ceremony held at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works, one of the world’s largest rolling stock manufacturing facilities.
The occasion was also marked by a symbolic experience: Nigel Freeman and Alex W Brown had the opportunity to drive an Aventra passenger train, built in Derby, on the factory’s test track.
Half a century in the service of trains
Born in 1953 in Fontainebleau, France, Nigel Freeman began his career in 1970, immediately after finishing school, with the General Electric Company, the predecessor of the current Alstom.
Throughout his career, he has worked in many countries, including six years in South Africa and nine years in Ireland, with shorter stints in the United States and Canada.
As an electrical engineer, Nigel Freeman contributed to the commissioning of major train fleets, such as the Class 465 and 466 Networker electric multiple units, and served as resident engineer for urban transport projects, including London’s Docklands Light Railway and the Manchester Metrolink tram network.
Based in Nottingham since 2012, he currently works as a project and contract manager involved in the maintenance of the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram fleet.
From apprenticeship to depot management
Alex W Brown, born in 1958 in York, began his career in 1975 as an apprentice at the British Rail Engineering Limited training school.
He spent nearly two decades at the Holgate Road carriage works in York, where he rose to the position of quality manager.
From 1996, his career continued at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, where he was involved in tram projects for cities such as Strasbourg and Milan, before working on the commissioning of fleets in Nottingham and Manchester.
For 14 years, Alex W Brown was depot manager in Manchester, providing warranty support for the 147 Flexity Swift trams operated in the city, as well as for the Flexity 2 fleet in Blackpool. Since 2023, he has been working as a maintenance mechanic at NET’s Wilkinson Street depot.
Recognition and continuity
The long service awards were presented by Rob Whyte, Alstom’s Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, at a lunch held at the Derby plant.
The event highlighted the essential role of decades of experience in the development and operation of safe and reliable transport systems.
“We are extremely proud to celebrate the careers of Nigel and Alex, who together have over a century of dedication to the railway industry,” said Alan Fravolini, project director at Alstom.
According to him, the expertise and passion of the two have contributed to the creation of fleets that transport millions of passengers around the world every day.
Although they now work in the same transport network in Nottingham, the two have crossed paths professionally since the 1970s, when Alex W Brown was involved in the manufacture of Class 312 electric multiple units in York, and Nigel Freeman was responsible for putting them into service on the Great Eastern main line.
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