From Platform to Parliament

After 20 years in the rail industry, CHRIS LODER was elected as MP for West Dorset in December 2019. He tells PHILIP SHERRATT how he believes the railway needs to seize the opportunity to change

It is not uncommon for people to leave the railway industry for pastures new – but it must surely be a first for that move to be into Parliament. So it was for Chris Loder, who was elected as the Conservative MP for West Dorset at the General Election in December 2019.

The change of job brought down the curtain on a railway career which had lasted 20 years. Mr Loder began his career as a station assistant at Salisbury and then as a guard on the West of England line, before going into management. Latterly he was Head of New Trains at South Western Railway, having re-joined the franchise in 2012 when it was South West Trains.

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