Two South Western Railway (SWR) colleagues have been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year Honours List for their outstanding work during Operation London Bridge, the code name for the events following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Chico Coulibaly, SWR’s Regional Manager based at Waterloo and Sam Camfield, Design Manager, played key roles in ensuring that SWR delivered a smooth and respectful service for the millions of mourners who travelled to and from London and Windsor to pay their final tribute to the late Queen.
SWR is extremely proud of their achievements and congratulates them on receiving this prestigious recognition from His Majesty the King.
A tribute to the Queen
Operation London Bridge was one of the most significant and solemn events in the UK’s history, requiring a massive coordination effort from various teams across SWR. The company had to plan and execute a response that could cope with the huge surge in demand for travel, as well as honour the memory of the Queen with dignity and grace.
Chico Coulibaly was instrumental in ensuring that Waterloo station, the busiest in the UK, was a safe and welcoming environment for the thousands of people who came to the capital for the Lying-in-State and the State Funeral. He worked tirelessly, often during night shifts, to support customers and colleagues throughout this challenging time.
He was also part of a team that developed the Waterloo Event plan, which anticipated and prepared for all possible scenarios that could occur during the funeral period.
On the day of the funeral, Chico faced an unexpected challenge when a major power failure closed the Paddington – Reading line, diverting thousands of additional customers to SWR’s services from Reading to Waterloo. He managed to oversee the safe and efficient movement of people through the station, despite the immense pressure and complexity of the situation.
Chico expressed his gratitude and humility for being honoured by the King:
“I feel truly privileged and incredibly humbled to be recognised by His Majesty the King in the New Year Honours List. I would especially like to thank the teams who have worked alongside me (NR/SWR), because without such great people, many of these achievements would not have been possible. It was a very big team who worked exceptionally hard to ensure that Waterloo was prepared to welcome all the thousands of people who came to pay their respects to Her Majesty, and they are all to be congratulated as well.”
Sam Camfield was responsible for creating the entire visual suite of materials that adorned all SWR channels, digital platforms and stations during Operation London Bridge. As Design Manager, he had to ensure that the visual impact of SWR’s response was respectful and honoured the late Queen.
This was a crucial task, as the images that the public saw would shape their impression of how SWR handled such a difficult and nation-defining period. With very little time available, Sam often worked late into the night to meet tight deadlines and ensure that printing and distribution was done in time for all materials to be in place when needed.
He paid special attention to Windsor & Eton Riverside station, which was ‘dressed’ specifically for the occasion with individual assets such as special banners, hoardings and flags. The station looked stunning and received high praise from stakeholders and customers alike.
Sam was delighted and honoured to receive the BEM:
“I am delighted to have been nominated in the New Year Honours list for my part in making sure that South Western Railway’s stations honoured Her Majesty and for dressing Windsor and Eton Riverside station for the State Funeral. It was a major team effort, and everybody involved should be proud of themselves.”
Claire Mann, SWR’s Managing Director, added:
“Our response to the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen was truly a team effort, and I’m really proud of the way SWR colleagues pulled together to both honour her memory, and deliver for our customers, at such a momentous period in our nation’s history.
“I’m delighted that the hard work of Chico and Sam in helping us to deliver our response has been recognised by His Majesty in the 2024 New Year Honours List. I would like to congratulate them on their British Empire Medals on behalf of everyone here at South Western Railway.”