Conductor praised for helping man who suffered medical emergency on Northern train

A conductor has been praised after helping a passenger during a medical emergency on a Northern service.

James Johnston was travelling on a train to Manchester when a passenger approached him and said he felt unwell.

The conductor made space on the busy train and then made an announcement on the public address system, asking anyone with medical experience to come forward.

The man fell ill during the journey and a retired A&E consultant stepped up to help while James phoned 999.

During his conversation with the call handler, James agreed the train should continue to Manchester instead of stopping at station in a rural area and waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

The conductor, who has worked for Northern for seven years, helped to keep the passenger comfortable and reassured everyone on board while updating the call handler.

By the time they got to Manchester, the man’s condition had improved slightly and staff from Network Rail agreed to take over and wait with him until the ambulance arrived.

James said: “It was a serious incident, but we couldn’t stop the train in the middle of nowhere and wait for help – that wasn’t really an option.

“We decided that unless things deteriorated, it would be quicker and easier to get everyone into Manchester and get assistance there.

“It was the first time I had experienced something like that, but I was lucky there was someone with medical experience on board and another conductor who could help."

The retired A&E consultant, who has asked to remain anonymous, said James was "absolutely brilliant" and he was "really impressed" with how the conductor dealt with the situation.  

James was presented with a Conductor of the Month Award for his actions, following the incident. 

His colleague Mike Brannigan was also given this award after he helped a customer who was in distress near Dinting Vale.

The conductor, who has worked for Northern for eight years, halted the train and managed to calm the customer before contacting British Transport Police.

He said: “I knew something wasn’t right straight away. I just tried to talk to him and get him back on the train. I wanted to make sure he was safe while we got him some help.”

Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “We’re extremely proud of James and Mike for remaining calm and professional in difficult situations.

“We would also like to thank the member of the public who stepped up to help the passenger who fell ill.

"Incidents like these show our conductors, who are on board every service, are not just there to check tickets. They work hard to keep millions of passengers safe every year."

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.