He was a real trailblazer for our industry and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his incredible service, made even more remarkable by the many obstacles he had to overcome.” He said: “I have been fascinated to learn about Wilston’s life and career. #BlackHistoryMonth.”Īndrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, called Jackson “a real trailblazer”.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tweeted: “Today a plaque was unveiled at King’s Cross station to commemorate Wilston Samuel Jackson, Great Britain’s first Black train driver, who overcame horrendous racism in his early career & went on to drive iconic trains like the Flying Scotsman. Two years later, Jackson broke both his legs when his train crashed into the back of a stationary goods train near Finsbury Park, north London, after a signalman mistakenly gave a green light.Īfter his recovery he returned to the railway, before later emigrating to Zambia where he taught people how to drive trains.
His journey to becoming a train driver came at a time when many black people had their applications blocked due to racism, and Jackson’s appointment in 1962 sparked a furious reaction from some of his white colleagues, who unsuccessfully attempted to prevent white men from working under him. Wilston Samuel Jackson driving the locomotive Neil Gow, which was in operation from 1924 to 1963.
