11 November 2025 •
To commemorate Remembrance Day, local rail operator c2c Railway held an event on Tuesday 11 November at Shoeburyness station, where it dedicated a Tommy statue installation with the support of the British Transport Police (BTP) and Royal Artillery Association.
c2c Communications and HR Director, Abu Siddeeq, spoke powerfully about the railway’s involvement in both World Wars and about the sacrifice made by his own family during those years. At 11:00, c2c colleagues, the BTP and the Royal Artillery Association attendees all observed the national silence to remember those that fell during the First World War (WW1).
Lead by Royal Artillery Association Executive Gun Captain, David Hadjicostas MBE, the event showcased the spirit of dedication to remembering the fallen. David said: “We were delighted to be asked by c2c to take part in this memorial event. It is so important that we remember the sacrifices made by the generations that went to war to protect us.”
To add further gravitas to the event, the Royal Artillery Association brought along their 25-pound gun from WW2, alongside their standard bearer – which garnered significant interest from local commuters.
c2c Managing Director, Rob Mullen, said: “The deep ties that Shoeburyness and the c2c line has with both WW1 and WW2 is never forgotten by us at c2c. To hold this event was very special and I want to thank David and the Royal Artillery Association, alongside Jay and the BTP team, for joining us and making it all the more special.
“The sacrifice and sense of community shown by those incredibly brave people remains nothing short of inspirational and we at c2c are committed to honouring their memory with our new Tommy statue, which will serve as a reminder of all those we lost fighting tyranny.”
You can watch the film of the event here:
c2c commemorates Remembrance Day at Shoeburyness station
c2c’s ex-service colleagues James Morgan (Driver) and John Mowatt (Servicing and Resourcing Manager), who placed the wreath at the foot of the Tommy statue, said: “We’re very honoured to be asked to place the wreath during the event and it was great to be part of such a special event.”
Shoeburyness has decades-long ties with the military and the c2c train route transported soldiers, munitions and children from across southern Essex to London during both WW1 and WW2 – so to commemorate the sacrifice made by so many at Shoeburyness was very special.
c2c colleagues also made a significant contribution to the Poppies on the Pier event in Southend – crocheting over 260 poppies and 1,215 feet of green chain. These joined the over 80,000 knitted Poppies, made and donated from people across Essex, which from 5 to 16 November 2025, adorned the entire 1.33-mile stretch of Southend’s iconic pleasure pier – commemorating all those that fought in WW1.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About c2c
- c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex.
- c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 37.3 million journeys are made on its services every year.
- The operation of all c2c services transferred into public ownership on Sunday 20 July 2025 and is managed by DFTO (DfT Operator Ltd).
- For more information email mediaenquiries@c2crail.net
Images
Featured Image: c2c Tommy Statue at Shoeburyness
Second Image: (l-r) Royal Artillery Association Executive Gun Captain, David Hadjicostas, MBE. James Mowatt (c2c Servicing and Resourcing Manager). Abu Siddeeq (c2c HR and Communications Director). John Morgan (c2c Driver)
Third Image: 25 Pound Gun at the event
Fourth Image: James Mowatt (c2c Servicing and Resourcing Manager) & John Morgan (c2c Driver)
Fifth Image: Attendees at the c2c Remembrance event enjoying Kara’s Kitchen at Shoeburyness station
Sixth Image: (l-r) Royal Artillery Association Executive Gun Captain, David Hadjicostas, MBE. James Mowatt (c2c Servicing and Resourcing Manager). Abu Siddeeq (c2c HR and Communications Director). John Morgan (c2c Driver). British Transport Police Sargent Jay Bibby
Seventh Image: c2c Customer Delivery Manager, Lee Stanbrook at Poppies on the Pier event