RBF Trustee Mick Cash tells the Story of Railway Pensions in New Book

Railway Benefit Fund is proud to announce that Mick Cash, former RMT General Secretary and a trustee of both the Railway Benefit Fund and Railpen, has written ‘A Source of Blessing’, the story of how railway workers fought for security in old age.

“I’ve spent most of my life on the railway, and I always felt the story of how our pensions came about had never really been told. People fought hard for them over a very long time, and I think railway workers today should know that history.”

The book traces the journey from fragile Victorian friendly societies to today’s multi-billion-pound Railway Pension Scheme. Drawing on parliamentary debates, union records and actuarial reports, it shows that railway pensions were never simply a workplace benefit, but part of a wider struggle for fairness, dignity and recognition of railway workers’ service.

Its title is taken from an 1880 article by Fred Evans, then General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants.

Mick brings nearly 50 years of railway experience to the subject, having started out as a Junior Railman in 1978. His lifelong commitment to the railway and the people who work on it runs through every page, and few people are better placed to tell this story.

At a time when pension security remains under pressure, ‘A Source of Blessing’ is a timely and genuinely fascinating read for anyone who cares about the railway’s history, and one every railway person should read.