UK: The Rail Business Awards celebrated project excellence and community impact as the event returned to Manchester for a second successive year.
Following a landmark move to Manchester in 2024, the Rail Business Awards returned to the city on February 20. More than 300 guests came together at the Hilton Hotel Manchester Deansgate for a star-studded evening, organised by the Railway Gazette Group at DVV Media International, with the 27th annual event being hosted by actress, writer, presenter and comedian Lucy Porter.
The move to the north of England not only reflects the geographical spread and diversity of the rail network, but with the devolution of transport policy to cities and regions high on the new government’s national reform agenda, the case for holding the event in Manchester is clear.
The awards come at the start of a year of rail-focused celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in September 1825. However, the rail sector also stands on the cusp of the most significant reforms in three decades, with the consultation on legislation to create Great British Railways now in progress. Against this backdrop, the Rail Business Awards presented an opportunity for the industry to recognise and celebrate the many individuals and companies whose vision, innovation and commitment are helping to ensure the industry continues to play a vital role for the economy and society as a whole.
Welcoming guests to the event, Railway Gazette Group Executive Editor Nick Kingsley underlined the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the many examples of commercial, technical and personal excellence that are seen across the network day-in and day-out. ‘The strong field of entries for the 19 categories being contested this year emphasises that much valuable work is still under way across many different parts of the industry’, he said.
The winners
AtkinsRéalis was named Rail Business of the Year, with the judges commenting that its three wins on the night served to demonstrate the company’s excellence in an array of disciplines from signalling to carbon management and digital rail.
Earlier in the evening, AtkinsRéalis was presented with the award for Safety & Security Excellence with the judges praising the company for its excellent approach to reviewing and analysing rules and standards on ETCS projects, noting that the entry ‘demonstrated a passion to achieve a higher level of safety and security’.
AtkinsRéalis also received the award for Sustainability & Environmental Excellence, having submitted a well-rounded entry that showed how project economics can be improved when environmental impact is prioritised.
The consultancy’s Feltham to Wokingham Re-Signalling Programme Team was named as the Rail Team of the Year, with the judges praising ‘the comprehensive entry that emphasised how the creation of a collaborative culture focused on project outcomes was essential for successful partnerships’.
In the highly competitive Train Operator of the Year category, the judges commended West Midlands Trains for delivering more and newer rolling stock, but named Greater Anglia as the winner. ‘The operator had been dealt a strong hand thanks to recent investment in an all-new fleet, it has played it well’, the judges said. They noted that the company has consistently delivered a robust and reliable service for its users over the past year, and recognised the value of its partnership with Network Rail that has been delivering industry-leading punctuality.
A new category for the 27th edition, the award for Skills Development Excellence recognises any company or organisation in the UK rail sector that has put training and development at the heart of their business. The first recipient of this award was Translink’s Permanent Way Department for its Apprenticeship Programme for Track Maintenance Workers. This was ‘an excellent example of a business unit tackling the skills shortage head on’, the judges said, adding that Translink is bringing new recruits into the Northern Irish rail sector and giving them clear development routes.
Diversity, communications, youth
The UK rail sector is working hard to become a more inclusive workplace that better represents society as a whole. The RBAs’ Diversity & Inclusion in Rail award is intended to recognise efforts to improve gender balance, diversity and inclusion within the sector, emphasising the case for equality across the industry.
This year the award was presented to Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus, with the judges feeling that its ‘For everyone going places’ entry had sent a strong community-oriented message ‘from a smaller public sector body which operates a metro that does not always receive national attention’.
As the industry strives to bring more passengers back to rail, the award for Marketing & Communications Excellence went to Greater Anglia for its Stansted Express campaign. This memorable creative campaign was intended to stand out in the airport and beyond; the judges felt its impressive results demonstrated excellent planning and execution.
The development of the next generation of rail talent remains a critical issue. This year, the Young Professional of the Year category saw a strong set of nominations. The judges highly commended Edward Goddard from Southeastern for fostering a strong community engagement that transformed Thanet station area, but the award went to Rebecca Prendergast of Northern Trains. Having started as a conductor, Rebecca decided to transfer to develop her career in the engineering field. The judges commented that ‘she is driven and passionate about her work and brings fresh new ways of problem solving and involvement opportunities’.
MetroWest is best
Work to improve the provision of rail or metro services to regional cities or on behalf of devolved administrations in any part of the UK is recognised in the Regional Initiative of the Year category. In presenting the award to MetroWest, an initiative which brings together train operator GWR, the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail, the judges recognised the ‘outstanding example of regional cooperation between local authorities and the rail industry’.
With further improvements in the pipeline, MetroWest has resulted in tangible improvements to the rail network around Bristol, which is driving a substantial increase in passengers.
The rail network is under increasing pressure to deliver improved levels of performance, and the newly introduced award for Digital Innovation & Signalling Excellence recognises excellence in signalling, train control and related disciplines. The category has a particularly strong emphasis on digitalisation of legacy technologies.
The first recipient of the award was Amey for its PLC Digital Signalling Solution which enhances the safety and efficiency of railway operations while reducing carbon emissions, cost and complexity. This significant development offers the prospect of reduced signalling implementation and maintenance costs in the future.
Accessibility and supply chain
The Accessibility & Integration initiative from South Western Railway saw the operator presented with the award for the award for Accessibility & Integrated Transport Excellence. The judges felt that the SWR entry showcased a commitment to enabling all its customers to travel as independently as possible across its services.
The railway supply chain is vital to the industry, but its importance is often overlooked. The Supplier & Contractor Excellence award recognises excellence by any company or contractor providing products or services to any part of the UK rail sector. APCOA was given a high commendation for its commitment to delivering parking services for rail users, but the judges selected OCS Group UK for the award. It won on the back of an ‘exceptional collaboration between OCS and South Western Railway’s Train Presentation Teams’, leading to high levels of customer satisfaction.
Efforts to improve mental or physical health across the UK rail sector are recognised by the Wellbeing in Rail award. This year’s recipient was the Occupational and Health & Safety team at QTS Group, which was commended for its commitment and value the initiatives which judges felt were ‘clear and thoughtfully planned’.
Innovation and lifetime achievement
The development of innovative technology, products, systems or services are vital if the UK rail sector is to thrive and grow; the Innovation of the Year award reflects this and judging proved exceptionally difficult in light of so many excellent entries.
The judges gave two high commendations; firstly to Southeastern for its accessible smartphone app, and the second to Team Railfreight for The Freight Loads Books Digitisation Project. This digitises the previously manual and error-prone process of checking permissible weights and lengths for freight trains; an innovation which has significantly enhanced safety and operational efficiency.
However, the award itself went to Purple Transform for its SiYtE platform, which combines machine and human intelligence to monitor rail infrastructure using real-time data from CCTV cameras, IoT sensors, and third-party feeds. This innovative approach addresses the limitations of traditional CCTV monitoring, reducing human error and ensuring continuous vigilance.
The Network Resilience and Maintenance Excellence category recognises excellence in the management of rolling stock or infrastructure assets. The judges selected Network Rail as the winner for StrEAMS, The Strategic and Engineering Asset Management System. They commented that the project addressed head-on one of the biggest challenges the railway faces, extreme weather. ‘Network Rail’s commitment to understanding drainage, rainfall and proactive maintenance processes is truly laudable, and StrEAMS is an impressive response to an increasing risk’, the judges commented.
A strong field battled it out for the Infrastructure Project & Station Excellence award, which recognises the most successful infrastructure or station development or enhancement projects. Commenting on the tough competition, the judges commended Great Western Railway, Network Rail and theEmily Estate for their work delivering enhancements at Castle Cary station. But the winner was West Midlands Railway for the renewal of University station. With the entry having been defined by the number of businesses and local bodies who worked together to revamp this key Birmingham hub, the judges noted particularly how the station remained operational during the reconstruction process.
Having been launched in 2020, the Richard Hope Award for an Outstanding Personal Contribution to the UK rail sector commemorates Railway Gazette’s former Editor. Richard was a tireless advocate for the rail sector, and the award is intended to recognise his legacy in spreading best practice in railway development and advocacy.
This year the award was presented to Don Coffey of TransPennine Express. Don has created cab-view video footage for a range of rail journeys around the UK. The recordings have not only used been used as part of driver training programmes at TPE and other operators, providing new and experienced drivers with valuable route knowledge, but they have also been shared through his YouTube channel, raising significant sums for charity. He has donated all the proceeds to causes that hold personal significance to him, with Samaritans being the main beneficiary.
‘Don’s career already embodies the idea of bringing track and train together’, the judges said. ‘His inspiring work, both within his role and in his volunteering outside work, is a testament to his commitment to the railway as a whole and to his local community in Derbyshire.’
Finally, Jamie Burles was named Industry Leader of the Year. The judges sought to acknowledge someone who has been an ambassador for the rail industry, making a significant contribution and acting as a role model for others. Until late last year, Jamie was the Managing Director of Greater Anglia, and he recently he joined Network Rail as Deputy Managing Director for the Eastern Region. The judges commented that he had ‘demonstrated exceptional leadership of Greater Anglia, where he spent a decade leading the transformation of East Anglia’s rail services. During his tenure, he oversaw a significant capital investment programme and the delivery of industry-leading levels of train service.’
Community spirit
‘Once again we have seen a wide range of first class entries from all parts of the rail sector’, said Railway Gazette Group’s Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
‘Although the industry is heading into a period of change, we have seen tonight that there is still much to celebrate even in challenging times. I was especially impressed by the deep links between the railway and its communities that shone through in many of the entries. My congratulations to some very worthy winners, who are setting an example for others to follow.’
