Matthew De Le Vigne, 42, from Burgess Hill, was invited to meet the King at a royal garden party on May 12, as part of a group of Southern, Thameslink, and Great Northern railway staff honoured for their exceptional service.
Mr De Le Vigne was celebrated for his calm and compassionate response during a distressing incident near Eastbourne last year, when he noticed a teenage girl who was contemplating suicide by the railway tracks.
He said: “It was a real honour to meet the King at Buckingham Palace.
“It was a lovely day, and the weather was nice too!”
Upon spotting the girl curled up by the side of the tracks, Mr De Le Vigne immediately contacted the signaller to stop all train movements in the area.
Once it was safe to do so, he left his cab to approach the girl and encouraged her to enter the train cab for her safety.
Mr De Le Vigne took the time to build a rapport, listening to her and bonding over the fact that they both wore braces.
He then drove the train to Eastbourne, stayed with her, helped clean her wounds, and waited with her until emergency services arrived.
Matthew De Le Vigne noticed that the teenager was in danger and intervened. (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
Mr De Le Vigne was not the only staff member from Sussex present that day.
Hugh Luff, who works in the ticket office at Arundel station, was also honoured at the palace.
Mr Luff has organised a collection of more than £10,000 worth of clothing and sleeping bags to send to people in Ukraine.
Ruth Busby, people director at GTR, said: “I am extremely proud of all our staff who work hard every day to deliver a great service for the near-million passengers who travel on our network each day.
“With nearly 8,000 people working here, our railway is full of great stories to tell – just like every one of our destinations.
“Sometimes, these are great examples of going above-and-beyond for customers or showing real kindness in challenging situations.
“I am delighted to see our people recognised at Buckingham Palace for their contributions to the railway.”
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