On an ordinary day in London, commuters rush past, trains arrive and depart, and the noise of the city fills the air. But for 33-year-old Rizwan Javed, the platform has never been just about schedules and timetables. Since 2015, it has been the setting where he has quietly changed lives—and saved them.
Rizwan, who works for the Elizabeth line, has helped prevent 29 people from taking their own lives. His ability to notice when someone is in distress and his willingness to step forward have made him more than a railway worker—he has become a lifeline.
It all began when Rizwan took a Samaritan training course. The program was designed to help railway staff recognize the signs of vulnerability and learn how to gently approach people in crisis. For some, it was simply part of the job. But for Rizwan, it became a calling. He carried with him not only the techniques he was taught, but also the lessons instilled by his parents: always show compassion, always offer kindness.
One encounter in particular has stayed with him. He remembers approaching a woman who seemed distressed, speaking to her softly, reassuring her, and guiding her away from the edge. His words and presence that day gave her something she desperately needed: time, hope, and human connection.
Weeks later, she returned to the station. Rizwan still remembers the moment vividly. She spotted him, ran over, and wrapped him in a hug. With tears in her eyes, she whispered, “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“For me,” Rizwan later said, “at that moment it was just everything. That person was family to me.”
For his extraordinary actions, Rizwan was recently recognized on the New Year’s Honours List—an acknowledgment not only of the lives he has saved, but of the compassion and humanity he continues to show every day. Yet, for him, the greatest reward is not the honor itself, but knowing that someone gets a second chance at life.
In a world where people often pass by without noticing, Rizwan chooses to stop. To listen. To remind strangers that they are not invisible, and that their lives matter. His story is proof that one person’s kindness can ripple outward, changing countless lives—sometimes in ways we will never fully see.
Because for the people Rizwan has saved, he isn’t just a railway worker. He is the difference between despair and hope. He is a guardian on the platform.
