John Peel To Be Remembered With A Commemorative Locomotive

Of all the ways you could pay tribute to the late, great John Peel, naming a train after the famed BBC DJ doesn’t immediately come to mind. But that’s exactly what’s happening this week in the city of Liverpool.

The public transportation company Merseytravel is gearing up to launch the "John Peel” train, saying the locomotive will be "a lasting tribute to John's memory."

Peel's widow Sheila Ravenscroft will be at the opening ceremony, which takes place at Liverpool's South Parkway station on Thursday (October 23), to help launch the train, along with Ian Prose of Liverpool band Amsterdam. Coming in just behind the Undertones’ "Teenage Kicks,” Amsterdam’s song "Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?” was one of Peel’s all-time favourite tracks.

"John just loved that song [‘Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?'],” the Press Association quotes Ravenscroft as saying. "He always became emotional when he played it. He wasn't capable of playing it without crying. If he played it on the radio he'd have to put something on straight afterwards because he wouldn't be able to speak.

"When he played it at home, he'd always need a cuddle afterwards. We are just really delighted that John is being honoured with this train. He would have loved it."

John Peel died of a heart attack at the age of 65 on October 25, 2004.

Amsterdam "Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?”