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Brief encounter on train leads to marriage proposal

Alex PopeBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
LNR Steve Higgs, hugging Payal Pandya, you can only see his back. Payal has on green ears, on a hairband and is showing up her hand with a ring on it, looking excited. She has long dark hair. LNR
Steve Higgs presented Payal Pandya with a ring and the answer was yes

A couple who had a brief encounter on a late-night train have got engaged on the same service one year later.

Steve Higgs, 56, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, set up the surprise proposal to Payal Pandya, from Harrow, London, after a train company got on board with the plans.

He said he first met Ms Pandya, 49, on the 23:09 London Northwestern Railway (LNR) service from Euston towards Milton Keynes in November 2024.

To mark their anniversary the couple boarded the same service and Mr Higgs got down on one knee to ask Ms Pandya to marry him - and wedding plans are now moving full steam ahead.

LNR Steve and Payal, both smiling, with a man with a purple jacket, clapping, looking at them. They are all sitting on a train with other passengers on the train. LNR
Train passengers were delighted by the special moment

Mr Higgs contacted LNR to plan the moment to ensure that nothing derailed it.

When the couple were on the train home from a night out in the capital, the conductor made a special announcement hinting at the forthcoming proposal, which gave Mr Higgs the cue to get down on one knee.

Mr Higgs said: "I first met Payal when I offered her my seat 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 20 minutes or so, I knew I wanted to see her again."

LNR Steve and Payal, smiling and looking at the camera, with wooden slates behind them. Steve has short grey hair and a beard, wearing a black top, Payal, has on green frog ears, has long dark hair, a nose piercing, earrings and a black top. LNR
To ensure the proposal was kept on track, Mr Higgs contacted LNR to plan the special moment

Ms Pandya said by the time she had got off the train last year, her fiancé had found her dating profile and sent her a message.

"We set up our first date not too long after and the rest is history," she said.

"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 couple said they hope to get married next year.

Jonny Wiseman, LNR's customer experience director, 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."

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