Commuter train named after Dr Feelgood rock legend Wilko Johnson

A London commuter train has been named after a rock star in what is believed to be a first for the industry.

The Trentialia c2c train honours Wilko Johnson, co-founder of the Essex blues and rock band Dr Feelgood, also regarded as forerunner of the punk movement.

A plaque bearing his name was officially unveiled at Southend Central Station in a ceremony marked by a live musical performance by the cast of the play ‘Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll.’

Canvey Island born Wilko Johnson co-founded the band that released their first album Down by the Jetty 50 years ago in 1975.

Wilko, who died in 2022, also famously played the role of mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in the hit TV series Game of Thrones.

A West End play about his extraordinary life, Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll, written by Jonathan Maitland, opens at the Leicester Square Theatre next month after sold out runs at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and the Southwark Playhouse. .

Wilko’s family and friends, including his brother Malcolm and son Simon attended the unveiling of the train nameplate.

A special performance of the R&B classic “Route 66”, featuring lyrics rewritten to reflect Southend and the Essex coast, was performed before guests boarded the ‘Wilko Express.’

The band and Wilko also feature in Scene by the Sea, an exhibition from the Thames Group of Artists at the Beecroft Gallery in Southend celebrating the area’s musical and cultural legacy. Alongside the exhibition, there’s a map of key venues in the area which can be picked up at various locations.

Wilko’s son Simon said: ‘’It is very touching that C2c are honouring my father in this way. I am told this is a tribute usually only reserved for poets and royalty. As an aspiring poet, I know he would be well chuffed.”