Northern has announced it will name a train after rugby league legend and motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Rob Burrow.
The operator is now working with Rob’s family and the MND Association to create artwork for the train that pays tribute to him and raises awareness of the condition.
The train, due to be unveiled later this year, will be seen by tens of thousands of people as it covers hundreds of miles every day.
Northern agreed a partnership with the MND Association in June and its staff have pledged to raise thousands of pounds for research to help find a cure for the life-shortening disease, which attacks nerves (known as motor neurones) that control muscle movement.
The train operator has launched a ‘7 weeks of summer campaign’, asking its 7,000 employees to take part in a range of fundraising activities.
That includes seven walks - covering a total of 70 miles - between towns and cities in the North which are home to Super League sides.
Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern, said:
“When we were asked to name a train after Rob, we agreed it was a fantastic opportunity to honour his legacy.
“With the support of his family and the MND Association, we are now working to make this happen.
“So many of us here at Northern were inspired by Rob’s indomitable spirit and his commitment to helping others suffering with this cruel disease.
“That’s why we want to pay tribute to this great man, help raise awareness of MND and funding which can be used to help find a cure.”
Rob, who died aged 41 in June 2024, spent the last five years of his life working with friend and former team-mate Kevin Sinfield to raise awareness of the condition and millions of pounds of funding for treatment.
It came after he won eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups during his 16-year playing career with Leeds Rhinos.
A number of Northern employees, who were inspired by Rob's achievements on and off the pitch, Wakefield Council and West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin requested the train naming earlier this year.
Jo Coker, the MND Association’s director of income generation, said:
“Rob was an inspiration both on and off the pitch – a man who showed real courage in sharing his diagnosis and opening up a conversation about motor neurone disease which continues to this day.
"For that, and for everything his family has done, and continues to do to support us, we are truly grateful.
“As one of the region’s most famous sons, naming a new train after him is a fantastic way to honour Rob’s life and legacy.
"As it travels through towns and cities, we hope it will spark many more conversations about Rob and about MND.”
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