TransPennine Express (TPE) is saying a fond farewell to one of its well-known station managers as he retires this week after spending more than three decades working on the railway.
Mike Drewery, who manages teams at Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Thirsk and Thornaby stations is retiring after 32 years on the railway, including 20 with TPE.
Born in Middlesbrough and a lifelong resident of the villages around Whitby and the North York Moors, Mike has strong roots in the region.
His career began as a guard at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Over 12 years, he progressed to traincrew inspector, helping introduce standards for mainline services to Whitby and even managed filming projects, including TV soap Heartbeat and Harry Potter.
Alongside his railway duties, Mike served as an on-call firefighter, becoming officer in charge at Goathland Fire Station. His fire service management training helped prepare him to lead station teams.
Mike joined TPE as a customer service supervisor in Northallerton’s booking office before becoming station team leader at Middlesbrough.
A 12-month stint covering the station manager role grew into a career managing stations across the North East, including York, Malton, Seamer and Scarborough.
For Mike, the relationships have been the most rewarding part. He still bumps into former Northallerton customers while shopping in town.
He said: “The railway is ultimately about people. I’ve been blessed with wonderful colleagues across the North East. They care deeply about their stations and communities, and I’ll miss them immensely.
“I’ll always be proud to have been based at Middlesbrough. The staff are one big team of passionate railway professionals.”
Mike is now swapping station platforms for a narrowboat, exploring the UK’s inland waterways.
He added: “A part of me will always be a station manager, but retiring feels right. I’m looking forward to remote moorings and a back-to-basics life.”
Andrew McClements, Customer Experience & Transformation Director at TPE, said: “Mike’s warmth, experience and dedication have made a lasting difference to colleagues and communities across the North East.
“He can be incredibly proud of his contribution to the railway. On behalf of everyone at TPE, I’d like to thank him for 20 years of commitment and wish him a long, happy and well-deserved retirement.”
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