Hastings council employee drove passengers home from Tunbridge Wells after rail death

A Hastings Borough Council employee drove passengers home from Tunbridge Wells after they were left stranded following a death on the tracks.
Kevin Boorman. Picture supplied by Hastings Borough CouncilKevin Boorman. Picture supplied by Hastings Borough Council
Kevin Boorman. Picture supplied by Hastings Borough Council

A man was pronounced dead on Saturday night (September 15) shortly after he was hit by a train at Warrior Square.

Trains were delayed and cancelled for the remainder of the day as emergency services shut the line to carry out investigations.

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Valerie Broughton, who had been in London to see the King and I, was travelling back home to Hastings on the 7.15pm train from Charing Cross with a friend when their train was stopped at Tunbridge Wells.

More than an hour from home, the 58-year-old was getting anxious to get back to her disabled husband when Kevin Boorman, the council’s marketing and major projects manager, offered her a lift home.

She said: “I suffer from a few health problems, walk with a cane and need to take medication so I explained to staff at the station that I needed to get a taxi home.

“In fairness to them, they booked one but said it would take about 45 minutes to an hour for one to arrive.

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“During which time, a woman (Mr Boorman’s wife) came on to the platform to ask if anyone needed a lift back to Hastings.”

Mr Boorman, who had been collecting his wife and 15-year-old son after they got stuck on their way back from Southampton, also gave Valerie’s friend and an elderly gentleman a lift back to the town.

It was around 9pm when his wife called to say they were stuck at Tunbridge Wells and were awaiting a bus to bring them back to Hastings.

He said: “I knew from experience – I was the station manager at Tunbridge Wells over 30 years ago – that it could take some considerable time to organise an emergency bus service on a Saturday night, so I said I’d drive to Tunbridge Wells to collect them.

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“The buses still hadn’t arrived when I got there, so I brought them home.

“I had space in my car for other passengers, and so brought back three who were also returning to Hastings. I didn’t want to leave them at Hastings station very late at night, so just took them to their various homes – it was no big deal, and I’m sure others would have done the same.”

Valerie said she was extremely grateful for his kindness.

She added: “While we were talking in the car, Kevin gave his name and said he worked for the council.

“I was thanking him so much for giving me a lift. He wouldn’t even take a penny off us.

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“He went above and beyond after a day at work and ahead of another day at work.

“The journey home took about an hour and I got home at 11.15pm. I was really grateful.”

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