GWR colleagues release Jerusalema Dance Challenge to ease commuters’ post-holiday blues

A video posted on YouTube has been timed to put a spring in the step of the thousands of commuters returning to work this week following the end of the summer holidays.

Customer ambassadors, gateline staff, train crew and even a GWR driver were joined by colleagues from Network Rail and Heathrow Express in showing off their moves as part of the dance craze which went viral during the height of the pandemic.

Eighteen colleagues rehearsed in their spare time and filmed several of the edits overnight, before delighting customers on the main concourse at London Paddington on a busy Thursday lunchtime.

GWR is the first train operator in the UK to take up the challenge.

The idea came from a chance conversation between Paddington-based customer ambassador Jennie Williams and Heathrow Express station team leader Mary Browne.

Jennie and fellow customer ambassador Bhavik Shah then masterminded the group’s routine and the video was produced by roster manager Ricardo Frutuoso.

Jennie said:

“We first started discussing this when we were in the third lockdown and the station was much, much quieter. Mary is a brilliant line dancer and showed me this fantastic Jerusalema Dance Challenge on YouTube.

“I said ‘We could have a go at that – let’s do it here at Paddington’ and it took off from there. It needed a fair amount of cajoling to get certain people involved but we’re delighted to have got such a diverse dance troupe together. Hopefully it will get lots of views and help to put a smile on people’s faces.”

Jerusalema was produced by South African DJ and musician Master KG and became the inspiration for a dance challenge as people around the world took to TikTok to recreate the moves seen in the video.

Groups ranging from the Garda Síochána police in Ireland to the Swedish Ambulance Service have since taken up the challenge – and now it’s the turn of GWR.

Haji Mustaq, Network Rail’s Paddington station manager, said:

“It is great to come together with our colleagues at GWR and put a smile on the faces of our passengers passing through London Paddington station.

“We work closely with GWR and the other train operators to ensure passengers are able to travel in comfort and confidence, and this latest collaboration on the Jerusalema Dance Challenge will hopefully make people’s journeys that little more enjoyable and memorable.”

Notes to editors

First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR was recently awarded an extension to its direct award franchise (called DA3), which shall run up to 31 March 2023, with an option to extend for a further year. 
Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us 

GWR’s enhanced cleaning regime includes: 

• A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020 
• Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks 
• Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning 
• 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted 
• Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.