Mother's relief as rail workers find lost wedding ring on the tracks
Mother-of-four Eileen Lawrence thought her wedding ring was gone for good when it slipped from her finger and bounced over the platform edge at the train station.
Mrs Lawrence was waiting for the 7.03am train to Birmingham at Bloxwich North station in the cold and dark when her diamond-studded ring came off as she applied moisturiser to her hands.
The treasured wedding ring disappeared over the edge of the platform onto the tracks below and completely out of sight.
A desperate Eileen was frantic and despite the efforts of fellow commuters – one even using their umbrella as a hook to try and locate it – the ring was nowhere to be seen.
Panic
Panicked Eileen got on the train to New Street where she reported her loss to staff when she got off.
She was told not to worry and staff were informed at Bloxwich who joined in the search. But they were without luck and hope began to fade.
But when Network Rail’s track section manager for Walsall, Phil Heeley, was alerted the next day, he leapt into action and he was able to call on his track technicians Adrian Callaghan and Matt Hayes to meet Mrs Lawrence at the platform.
And almost as soon as they stepped onto the track they found the ring much to the relief of Eileen.
Good deed
Mr Heeley said: “In all my 40 years’ service I have never had a request like this one.
"I told Matt he would have to stop the movement of trains with a ‘line block’ before going on to the track, and if the wedding ring wasn’t visible he’d have to move the ballast stone by stone.
"I even considered trying to get a metal detector if that didn’t work.
“But almost as soon as Matt and Ade went down onto the track, luckily the wedding ring was sat there, pointing up towards the sky.
"I know how precious a wedding ring is and I really felt as if Network Rail had done a really good deed. I know that on that day there was one lady who was a very happy customer.”
Eileen said: “Every day I stand by the same people waiting for my train and when they saw the commotion they couldn’t believe that I’d dropped my wedding ring.
“People came rushing over to help – one lady even suggested using her umbrella as a hook to find it. But it was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t have time to get really upset, because my fellow commuters were so supportive.”
Overwhelmed
It was only after the ring was safely back on her finger that Eileen plucked up the courage to tell her husband of 31 years all about its unexpected overnight stay on the tracks.
She said: “I felt completely overwhelmed when my ring was finally found.
"When you hear about Network Rail in the news it’s often negative, so I really wanted to share my story about the lengths its staff went to reunite me with my wedding ring.
“I am really grateful for the team at Network rail who acted so promptly and to the two men Adrian and Matt and their boss Phil who helped retrieve it from the track.
“It can only be described as splendid customer service which reached far beyond my expectations.”
Mrs Lawrence also says that she’s very much learned her lesson; now she’s vowed to never take it off – and won’t be risking moisturising her hands on her early morning commute again.
