Veterans from Avanti West Coast carried a poppy wreath 409 miles from Glasgow to London to mark Armistice Day and Remembrance. The tribute moved along the West Coast Main Line, ending at London Euston after poppies were added at 12 separate stations.
Paul Williams, Avanti West Coast’s regional operations manager, drove the train from Preston to Coventry after serving in the British Army Reserve for 38 years between 1985 and 2023. Williams said: “Serving in the Army Reserves in a variety of roles alongside my career in the railway is a daily reminder to myself of what can be achieved through strength and resilience.”
Glasgow to London by rail
A group of veterans who work for Avanti West Coast joined the Royal British Legion to build and transport the wreath. Colleagues who are all ex-serving personnel decorated a plain wreath with poppy posies during the journey, turning the trip into a moving tribute rather than a single station ceremony. Margaret Dzikiti, who served for nine years in the Royal Corps of Signals between 2004 and 2013, said the journey gave her “a real sense of purpose and pride”.
The journey was designed to highlight the link between rail and the military, and Avanti West Coast said it was the third consecutive year it had marked Remembrance. Andy Mellors, managing director of Avanti West Coast, said: “This journey demonstrates the strong connection between rail and the military, by uniting together veterans and serving personnel from the communities along our route. It is an honour to recognise our colleagues who have served for their country through the Veterans Network and to see what they have achieved today through this poignant tribute.”
London Euston memorial ceremony
At London Euston, Network Rail colleagues and representatives from the Royal British Legion welcomed the train before the wreath was carried to the station memorial and laid in a small ceremony. Councillor Patricia Leman, Mayor of Camden, gave a reading. The tribute then moved into a broader Remembrance programme at the station, where a replica wreath will be laid at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
That detail leaves one practical question for readers following the ceremony: the journey marked Remembrance, and London Euston’s annual Armistice Day service is scheduled for Wednesday November 11, but the source does not say whether the wreath carried from Glasgow will be used again at that service. What is clear is that the railway tribute already reached its destination, and the next ceremonial step is set for the Cenotaph.
