Mick Brooks retires after 49 years in railway signalling

Mick Brooks has retired from Network Rail after a 49-year career in the railway industry. Brooks began his service in June 1977 as a train register lad at Stainforth.

Much of his career was spent at the Keadby Canal Signal Box, one of the most unusual locations in Britain. In this role, he managed train traffic on the South Humberside route and operated the Keadby Sliding Bridge, a rare movable railway bridge believed to be the only operational sliding bridge of its kind on the national network.

Throughout his tenure, Brooks held various positions, including relief crossing keeper and a signalling role at the Ranskill signal box on the East Coast Main Line, where he witnessed the route's electrification.