Thameslink's oldest rail worker honoured with song

The special track about Siggy Cragwell, left, was written by award-winning singer-songwriter Richard Thompson

An 85-year-old railway worker from north London has been honoured with a folk song to mark his long service.

Siggy Cragwell, from Hampstead, works as an assistant at Elstree and Borehamwood station, and is Thameslink's oldest employee.

The special track about Mr Cragwell was one of five commissioned by BBC Radio 2 to tell the stories of people whose lives have been influenced – or changed irrevocably – by trains.

It was written by award-winning singer-songwriter Richard Thompson, and featured Mr Cragwell's cricketing colleagues on backing vocals at their club, Holtwhites-Trinibis, near Gordon Hill railway station.

"It's such an honour to have this song written about me," said Mr Cragwell.

Mr Cragwell came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation in 1962 and started work the day after his ship docked in Southampton.

Govia Thameslink Railway said he had been delivering excellent customer service on the railway non-stop ever since.

Mr Cragwell did try to retire once but said he found life so boring that he came back to work.

Mr Cragwell said it was an honour to have a song written about him

He has received two lifetime achievement awards – one by popular vote in his north London community – and a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to the railway.

He previously played cricket for the England over-70s, and still takes wickets from players in their 20s.

"I could never have dreamed when I came to this country that I'd still be working for the railway 63 years later and be receiving all these accolades," Mr Cragwell added.