UK: ‘Operations are central to everything in rail, and we believe that if CIRO succeeds, the railway is better for it’, said Phil Sherratt, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators as it publicly launched its refreshed mission and values in mid-February.
Sherratt joined CIRO in October 2024, having previously been Editor of UK rail industry title Modern Railways. Having spent a few months getting to know the organisation, he felt that now was the right time to provide a refresh of its ethos that reflects a commitment to enhancing the professional development of railway operators in the UK and across the globe.
CIRO’s updated mission promises to ‘lead, inspire, and accelerate the growth of rail professionals, cultivating collaboration to support the success of rail organisations, now and in the future’. Sherratt emphasised that the word ‘operator’ was deliberately missing from this statement, ‘because we believe everything in rail is operational’.
He explained that the mission statement supports the goals outlined in the government’s rail reform agenda, which aims to create a ‘simpler, better railway’ that delivers for passengers and freight customers.
Alongside the refreshed mission, CIRO has published as set of values that reflect its commitment to fostering an industry that is modern, accessible and efficient. These values are:
- Member-focused: ensuring members remain at the core of CIRO’s work.
- Inclusive: promoting fairness, diversity and equity across the rail industry.
- Collaborative: strengthening impact through strategic partnerships and collective efforts.
- Professional & accountable: upholding the highest standards of ethics and excellence.
- Knowledgeable: driving lifelong learning and informed decision-making.
- Innovative: embracing creativity and ambition to lead progress in the industry.
Sherratt said that while CIRO’s core focus was the UK, its reach would grow internationally in the future, initially focusing on Australasia. However, he said the institution would not seek to establish branches in countries where an equivalent body already exists.
‘The UK has always been a leader in railway education’, he said. Part of the requirement to qualify as a Fellow of CIRO is to demonstrate an ability to understand an aspect of rail operations outside the UK, he added.
Chair of the CIRO Board of Governance Jim Meade, who is soon to retire as Chief Executive of Irish national railway Iarnród Éireann, felt that railways ‘have always given people careers, rather than jobs’. CIRO has ‘played a critical role in fostering professional development and growth’ — which ‘includes helping people earn more money, if we are honest about it’.
Both Sherratt and Meade believed CIRO had a responsibility to foster closer links between the managerial ranks and the highly unionised front line of UK rail. ‘Clearly we want to have a working relationship with the railway unions’, said Sherratt, while Meade added that in Ireland, trade unions ‘are recognised as having a key management role in the delivery of the railway’.
‘In Ireland, we did a seven-year pay deal after Covid with the unions, and we had no strikes or unrest at all’, he reported, adding that he looked at the ‘turmoil’ over industrial relations in Britain ‘with amazement, quite frankly’.
Looking ahead to the emergence of Great British Railways, Sherratt said he wanted CIRO to ‘have a seat at the table’ to shape the future structure of the industry, being ‘proactive and not reactive’.
‘As the UK rail industry embarks on a new era with the GBR reforms, CIRO stands ready to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed’, he insisted.
