What many people did not expect has happened this week. Carel Robbeson is saying goodbye to the railway. According to John Weijtmans, a good friend and CEO of Swietelsky Rail Benelux, the railway was Carel's passion and life. From now on, the railway will have to do without him, but Carel will certainly not be bored.
Drive
“We have known each other for forty years, and I could actually write a book about it,” John begins his speech of thanks. In the presence of old acquaintances, family, and friends, John shares his memories of the past four decades. They started together in the 1980s at NS. “As a platform supervisor in Roosendaal, Carel's love for infrastructure transport began. From then on, his career has been characterized by drive.”
Turning every crisis into an opportunity
Carel always paid attention to his colleagues and knew how to turn every crisis into an opportunity. Not only in his later role as general director of Railion Nederland, but since 2008 also in his company RailTrade. And later with John at the predecessor of Swietelsky Rail Benelux. “We started in a small office in Etten-Leur, with two desks. And look where we are now. Thanks to Carel, we have built a sustainable and robust company and dare to face crises.”
Better to lose something beautiful
“I am proud and happy that I have been able to complete this journey with Carel,” John concludes. “We often needed just one glance. I will miss that. But we have at Swietelsky a locomotive renamed ‘the Carel’, so you are still a little with us.” Now it is time for his other passions: music and family. “I always feel like a child of Sunday, but today even more than that,” Carel thanks everyone present. “In 2007, I was at a crossroads. And without knowing it, John was at the same crossroads. The rest is history. From now on, I will enjoy even more and will miss everyone immensely. But, as Rowen Hèze already sang: ‘Sometimes it is better to lose something beautiful than to have never had it at all.”
