Couple return to train where they met – and leave newly engaged
Exactly a year after first crossing paths on a late-night train, a couple returned to the very same service to relive the moment that brought them together – and this time it ended with a surprise proposal. Steve Higgs (56) and Payal Pandya (49) first met on the 23:09 London Northwestern Railway train from Euston to Milton Keynes in November 2024, sparking a conversation that later became a relationship neither expected.
Fast forward twelve months, the couple boarded the same 23:09 service after an evening out, unaware that fellow passengers were about to witness a special moment. Steve had secretly contacted London Northwestern Railway beforehand, and with the conductor’s help, a carefully worded announcement set the scene. Taking his cue, Steve dropped to one knee and popped the question.
Speaking about that first meeting, Steve Higgs from Leighton Buzzard said:
“I first met Payal when I offered her my seat on the train after I’d been out for a few drinks with friends. I’m always up for chatting with people when I’m travelling and so I struck up a conversation. I remember she mentioned she’d just been on a first date where – luckily for me - sparks had failed to fly. Although we were only speaking for twenty minutes or so, I knew I wanted to see her again.”
Payal Pandya from Harrow said:
“I’d told Steve I’d met my date for that night on the apps. Shortly after I got off at my local station in Harrow, he’d found my dating profile and sent me a message. We set up our first date not too long after and the rest is history. We always joke that the 23:09 LNR service marks our ‘encounter-versary’ – the moment we first met. I can’t believe Steve asked me to marry him on that same service and managed to get the conductor involved without me knowing!”
The pair currently live separately but plan to move in together next year, ahead of a summer wedding. Their new home will also unite their pets – Bruno the Italian Greyhound and Zen the Cavapoo – as they start life under one roof.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at London Northwestern Railway, said:
“When Steve got in touch with our customer relations team, we knew we had to help with his request for a special announcement. Their story is a brilliant example of the way the railway can connect people, not just to where they need to go, but to the people they’re travelling with too. We’re delighted to hear that Payal was on-board with the wedding plans and said yes. I want to say a huge congratulations to them both and that we wish them the very best for their future together.”
Image: London Northwestern Railway