PROFILE: Crewe Station manager Taryn Banks

Introducing a new feature celebrating the people who make Crewe such a special place to live and work. From familiar faces on the high street to the quiet champions working behind the scenes, we’ll be sharing the stories, passions and journeys of those who shape our community every day. 

Here we meet Crewe Station manager Taryn Banks.

Taryn you began your career as an apprentice at Manchester Piccadilly Station as a team organiser and you have risen the ranks to Station Manager at Crewe, now in the role for two years. Tell us about your career progression.

I started on the railway back in 2016 as a Team Organiser covering the Manchester route. This role involved looking after the stations and onboard teams along the route with ordering uniform, equipment, ticket stock. I then moved to Crewe station where I worked as a train dispatcher and announcer. I progressed to become a Team Leader, which involved managing the shifts at the station and supporting the dispatchers and staff in the ticket office. I’m now the Station Manager at Crewe.

What does your role entail at Crewe? 

As Station Manager, I’m responsible for the Avanti West Coast staff at Crewe, which includes those who work in the Ticket Office, as Welcome Hosts, dispatchers or announcers on the platforms, and Team Leaders. I ensure the team are trained and safe to do their job. The role covers anything and everything that goes on at Crewe station. I work with various stakeholders to keep track of our performance – from punctuality of trains to the safety of our staff & customers, passenger assist, and customer feedback. I also look after staff welfare, engage local people around the railway and support local schools or community groups. I support tenants at the station and work closely with Network Rail and other train operators who serve Crewe. It is a vast and varying role.

An incredible 280 trains or more pass through Crewe every day, what’s the biggest challenge?

There are many priorities from safety, customer experience and punctuality. I have an amazing team of frontline staff who do an amazing job of looking after our customers day in, day out, and who put safety front of mind to keep 280 trains each day running safely to get our customers where they need to be. It is a very rewarding job seeing the hard work pay off.

Avanti took over the West Coast Main Line from Virgin in 2019. How many people do you now have working for you at Crewe and what’s an average day like for you at work?

No two days are the same in this job. Most days I’m based at Crewe station to be with the team. The Avanti West Coast team at Crewe is made up of 67 people – each one of whom put their all into ensuring the station operates smoothly and customers can make their journeys comfortably and safely. When I’m not at the station, I travel to locations across the West Coast Main Line to attend meetings with the wider Customer Experience Team, or Station Management Teams.

Crewe Railway Station, opened in 1837, what’s it like being at the helm of the world’s historically significant railway stations?

I take a lot of pride in my role here at Crewe because this station has always been about more than trains. It’s about people, industry and connection. Having worked here for nearly six years as a frontline member of the team it makes it even more special. My experience on the platforms has given me greater understanding of the station’s operations and how I can support the team to give customers the best possible experience.

One of the most rewarding parts of the job is the community side of the role. It gives us an opportunity to recognise the significance of Crewe’s rich rail heritage and engage people with the railway.

Being able to work with local schools, charities, and rail industry partners allows us to ensure that Crewe’s railway can continue to play an active and positive role in the town’s community.

At Avanti West Coast we recently hosted the exhibition train, Inspiration, at Crewe station as part of Railway 200 – a nationwide industry celebration of 200 years of the modern railway. I’m proud Crewe played a part in marking this anniversary and showcasing the railway’s continued importance in the town. We welcomed nearly 3,000 visitors over the five-day event, which took place on platforms 13 and 14 that were opened specially for the celebrations.

Do you have any improvements planned?

We’re currently working on repurposing an unused space on the platforms, which will become our Passenger Assistance Lounge. There is a rail industry service called “Passenger Assist” for disabled customers or mobility impaired customers. This space will offer a dedicated area for customers who have booked Passenger Assist to wait during their journey. We hope it will be a welcoming environment where the Avanti West Coast team can support customers travelling to, from or through Crewe station by rail and help them feel comfortable and relaxed.

How do you relax away from your busy role? 

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I like listening to music when relaxing at home, especially country music! My fiancé and I like to travel and see new places, whether it’s a weekend somewhere in the UK, or planning city breaks abroad to explore and try new foods.