Fergus Gibson

Rail manager

Born: 2nd April 1932

Died: 16th May 2016

FERGUS Gibson, who has died aged 84, was born in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, the son of a station master.

From his early days he was never far from a railway as he, his twin brother Graham and eldest brother Cameron followed his father around Ayrshire. They were brought up in stations which are sadly now only part of railway folklore.

From an early age he learnt about the traditions and values of the railway - punctuality, safety and public service. These values were to serve him well in a high profile railway career which took him to the very top of his profession.

It was a lifetime of service that saw dramatic change in the railway industry. Steam trains, a constant feature of his early life were phased out, proudly independent railway companies, each with their own traditions, were nationalised and the Beeching Report saw the demise of many branch lines. Fergus lived through it all and helped to ensure that a modern railway system emerged.

After being educated at Carrick Academy and graduating from Glasgow University with an MA degree, Fergus completed his National Service in the Education Branch of the RAF joining British Rail as a traffic apprentice at Aspatria in Cumbria in 1959. He worked at a number of stations in Cumbria and various stations and depots throughout Scotland before being appointed Senior Clerk in the District Commercial's Managers office in Dundee. A year later he moved to Glasgow and served in a number roles in the Glasgow and South Western Division, a return to home territory.

In the early seventies Fergus worked for Inter City Services before taking up the appointment of Passenger Marketing Officer for Scotland. Fergus was responsible for the broader marketing, pricing and the quality of the service. This was a demanding job at the interface between the railways, often seen as remote and serving their own needs and the public. Fergus had all the necessary skills to explain the railway's position and investigate the public's concerns.

He became a frequent contributor to the letters page of the 'Glasgow Herald', as it was then, responding to complaints and defended decisions such as holding back improvements, such as the electrification of the Ayr to Glasgow route, due to Government cut-backs.

As Marketing Manager he also visited the USA as part of the Gateway Mission selling visits to Scotland to Americans. Fergus was always innovative. When approached by a businessman who ran luxury train tours in Europe and wanted to organise tours in Scotland using the 'Royal Scotsman' Fergus had organised all the logistics to enable te tours to commence within two months.

After this for four years Fergus was the Sealink manager for the Stranraer to Larne route, where he was in charge of 5 ships and 1,000 Staff. The highlight, during his tenure, being the arrival of the new ship Galloway Princess which joined the fleet in the 1980’s.

Fergus then returned to mainstream railways management in 1982 as Chief Passenger Manager for the Eastern Region, which from its headquarters in York served 36% of Britain's population. He was by now responsible for 495 stations. New services were devised, punctuality improved and routes avoiding bottlenecks in London developed.

However, a call from Scotland proved irresistible and he returned to become the Chief Passenger Manager Scotland and then Director Customer Services. It is said that it was Fergus who was responsible for the name “Scotrail”, which he suggested in the 1980’s.

He was always proud of the railways and insisted on high standards from staff and passengers alike, and was known to confront those who dared to put their feet on seats. Such was his manner that he always got a positive response.

With privatisation approaching Fergus took early retirement but even in retirement his skills were sought after. He was invited to look after the affairs of the Coal Merchants Association of Scotland, a Trade Body since 1913. He was director for 13 years until retirement at 70 and made many friends in the coal trade.

Fergus was also invited to join the Consultation Committee at Prestwick Airport, representing passenger interests. His career, therefore, eventually covered trains, boats and planes. His was a unique contribution to transport affairs in Scotland.

Fergus was blessed with a wonderful marriage of over 50 years to Eleanor and was a loving father to Richard and Judith. His other interests included a passion for singing and Ayr United, his local team.

For five decades Fergus was also a church elder, a frequent visitor to those in his district. He could always speak directly, showing great insight and without causing offence. Fergus was truly a 'fine Christian gentleman' always treating others with respect, warmth and kindness. He passed away after a short spell in hospital.

Dr Alasdair Wham