Britain's first black train driver honoured with blue plaque at King's Cross
Wilston Samuel Jackson dedicated his life to the railway
Last updated 25th Oct 2021
A plaque has been unveiled commemorating Britain's first black train driver at London King's Cross station today (25th October).
Jamaican-born Wilston Samuel Jackson began maintaining trains shortly after moving to London in 1952 and became a driver 10 years later.
He had a long and successful career on the railway, including driving the famous Flying Scotsman locomotive.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony Mr Jackson's youngest daughter, Polly Jackson, said: "My father dedicated much of his life to the railway. He was never late or missed a day, and he was so proud of his work, despite the many challenges he faced. Today was a fitting tribute to his life and career."
Mr Jackson - known as Bill - worked his way up from his initial maintenance role to a position managing train boilers.
See photos from the unveiling below:
The life and struggles of Bill
This involved spending days shovelling coal in hot and filthy conditions, after which he returned home to study for his driver exams.
He wasn't the first black person to aspire to be a train driver in Britain, but many saw their applications blocked due to racism.
Mr 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.
Two years later, he 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.
After a long recovery, he returned to the railway, before emigrating with his family to Zambia where he taught people how to drive trains.
He died in September 2018 aged 91 years old.
Helping people from minority ethnic backgrounds enter the industry
Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: "I have been fascinated to learn about Wilston's life and career.
"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.
Mr Haines also said he hopes Mr Jackson's story will inspire the next generation of train drivers and railway workers from minority ethnic backgrounds as "they remain under-represented in the industry".
According to the train drivers union Aslef, just 10% of Britain's train drivers are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: "We are incredibly proud to have had Wilston as one of our own, a dedicated driver with an illustrious and ground-breaking career.
"Nearly 60 years after Wilston earned his key, just 10% of train drivers in England, Scotland and Wales come from an ethnic minority.
"Aslef continues to campaign for change across the sector and for a driving grade that represents 21st century Britain. This blue plaque is a fitting recognition of that."