Jayne Sumner, Rail Engagement Manager

I started my current role back in October 2011, before then I was on the infrastructure team taking on projects to improve public transport infrastructure. Before that I was a team leader within passenger transport team arranging home to school transport. I started with ECC on the 14th October 2002.

I believe in giving people a viable option to the car, whether its walking, cycling, bus or train. My role also includes community engagement and social inclusion which I love working on.

The best thing is doing something different every day! I could be out working to improve a station garden, giving a presentation to Frinton residents, or meeting our station volunteers for a well-deserved cuppa and a big thank to them for all the work they do.

I am working on a few projects, one being a train event with Homestart, taking 50 vulnerable families from Harwich Town to Colchester for the day, something these families don’t often get to do. The Team have just produced an Ale Trail booklet on the Flitch Line from Witham to Braintree Station, this involved visiting the pubs along the trail, it’s a hard life!

Oh, my goodness this is a hard one! I think it has to be my Dad, he brought us up to be independent and stand on our own two feet, and there with words of wisdom when I got it wrong!

I was lucky enough to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace!

My greatest fear I imagine like most people is to lose one of my family.

My dream dinner party would be Adele, The Prince and Princess of Wales and Rishi Sunak

Wouldn’t it be great to know what people are thinking! I would love that super power, I think communication is the key in most things we do and that super power would definitely help.

I do love fried Chicken (not that good is it?)

My worst job driving for WHSmith’s on a Sunday morning to deliver extra papers to shops on a route around Maldon, I had to drive a large van, and the route included the hill up to Maldon High Street, every week I was scared I couldn’t hold the van on the hill!

I love my job, so more of the same, we have several event trains coming up, and really excited about our climate awareness train on the 8th October, we plan to have several activities around climate change building on the event from last year.