Mags Farrow Railway Mission Chaplain

Chaplain to South Wales

and the English Marches

Railway Mission Chaplains: Supporting Rail Staff on Life's Journey

Mags is our Railway Mission Chaplain for South Wales and the Marches. Her ‘patch’ covers from Hereford up to Newport and across to Pembrokeshire, including the Heart of Wales line.

Mags joined the chaplaincy team in January 2026, following a career in teaching, ministry and as a prison chaplain. She is married with three children and two dogs.

Please tell us about your journey to working for Railway Mission?

I’m a qualified teacher and have taught in primary schools and early years education. I’ve had a very varied career, including leading a church and working in a chaplaincy role in a school before becoming a prison chaplain. We recently relocated to Wales as a family and my husband found the advert for this role. We live right next to a station!

I was aware of Railway Mission and Alan Thorpe preached at the church where I was a member in Bristol but I don’t profess to be an expert in railways. That said, I believe that chaplaincy is very similar wherever you are – it’s just the context that changes.

How are you finding the challenge of learning about the railways?

Working in chaplaincy in prisons, I often found that whole conversations were filled with acronyms and I would need to look things up after the meeting. There is a lot to learn about the railways but actually I’ve found so far that more people use real words and I just ask if there is something I don’t know. That’s the best bit about being a newbee! I ask people what their job titles are but I’m most interested in what’s underneath - like what does the role actually do and involve on a day to day basis.

Like all the other Railway Mission chaplains, my ‘patch’ is a pretty large area to cover but I am also privileged that it is so beautiful and varied.

I’m finding it fascinating learning about the varied roles on the railways - from people creating technical drawings for new track layouts to those making sure that the right machinery for a particular job gets to the right place at the right time. The facilities managers have been super helpful with advising me about the best times to visit the depots and stations when the most people are likely to be around. Hybrid working and shift patterns mean that it will take some time to meet the hundreds of people working across my area.

What have your first few months involved?

I’ve focused on getting out and about across my ‘patch’ to meet as many people as I can. I want my face to be seen and known and for people to understand what a chaplain is and how I can help. I don’t speak Welsh but I’m trying to learn some basics and make a real effort to pronounce the place names – it can be an ice breaker with people when I make a mistake and mispronounce them too! I’ve visited some of the bigger places, like the rail operations centre in Cardiff and a number of the larger depots. I’m also aware that there are people in more remote places, like signallers who may work largely on their own and may be more in need of support. I’m making sure I meet them too.

How do you strike up conversations?

Having previously been a teacher, I’m used to learning names but, to build up a real rapport with people, I think it’s important to build a connection through listening and remembering something about each one. I ask people about their jobs and what it involves but I also ask people about themselves and their lives. For example, I’ve met someone who is climbing Kilimanjaro, someone who is travelling to Nashville and someone who’s a Star Wars enthusiast and loves to build replicas using a 3D printer. Next time I meet them, I might not always remember their name at first but I will remember their face and I can ask them about their interests or their trip – it’s a great way into a conversation about how life is going for them.

How do you look after your own mental health?

I have two dogs that I enjoy walking and I’m very musical. I play the saxophone. To relax, I love jigsaws and crochet. Although I am new to this area, I’ve found the church to be incredibly welcoming and they take a real interest in my work and are already very supportive. I’ve also learnt to accept that my role isn’t to fix things for people and actually most people aren’t actually looking for a fix. My role is to be there to support people as they find a way forward.

What would you say to someone who thinks chaplains are just there for Christians.

Although my role as a Chaplain involves offering Spiritual support to those who have or are exploring faith, I love working with people of all faiths and none. We don’t even need to talk about faith – but if someone wants to chat about faith then that’s good too. My role is to be here to listen and to listen well – truly hearing what the person is saying. I look at every person as a whole and what their unique individual needs are at this point in time. I then work from there to support them on their journey. It’s important that people feel comfortable talking to me and sharing. That’s why I start with the small stuff and conversations about how people are or their recent trip. Once people feel comfortable sharing the small stuff, then they will trust me with anything else that may be on their mind.

What are you looking forward to over the coming months?

I really enjoyed a recent railway 200 event in Swansea and will be getting out and about to more of the depots as well as the more remote areas more out in the sticks. I’m eager to meet with senior staff and team leaders as well – to help get the message out that I’m here for people.

Hopefully there will also be more requests for support as people get to know about me and my role. I am starting to get recommendations through so I know awareness is already growing. I’ve really enjoyed my first few months and I’m looking forward to the journey ahead!