Train workers keep romance on track

A train company is claiming to be Britain's most romantic place to work after experiencing a record number of relationships between staff.

Of the 900 employees at Midland Mainline, 80 people are either married or in a long term relationship with a colleague.

Peter and Shirley Dobbin, who work at London St Pancras, had their marriage blessed on a train by the station chaplain.

Shirley, 36, said: "We drew the line at having a honeymoon on a train that would have been a bit much."

Phil Mason, personnel manager at Midland Mainline, said: "Some companies have old fashioned views and disapprove of romance at work but we found it often enhances working relationships.

"We have actually found that it can increase staff motivation and bring a sense of healthy competition in to the workplace."

A spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry said the figure could be a record.

"Companies are much more enlightened about this these days though there are perhaps some who feel it can cause problems," he said.

Jes Wilding, 41, from Sheffield, has been married to his wife Natasha, 34, for three years. They met while he was a chef on the London to Sheffield run.

Natasha, who looks after staff on the express routes, said: "It definitely wasn't love at first sight. I hated him at first. He is like all chefs, bossy and thought he was always right. But as we worked together I realised he wasn't that bad and we started going out. It was certainly the railways that brought us together."

Most watched News videos