Previous Winners
Congratulations to the previous winners of the 22nd Rail Business Awards which took place on 27 February 2020
WINNER: Translink (Rail Fleet Engineering) - Class 4000 trains performance
Whilst the Class 4000 fleet in Northern Ireland is relatively small, the judges felt this stand-out entry demonstrated an exceptional achievement by Translink, achieving a six-fold increase in technical reliability in six years following the fleet introduction.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
ScotRail & Network Rail
WINNER: South Western Railway - Station-based paramedics making a life-changing difference to passengers
The judges described the deployment of station paramedics as ‘exceptional and game-changing’, with life-changing results and a sound financial business case in reducing delays that should be evaluated for wider deployment across the industry.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Network Rail - Three Bridges to Brighton communication campaign
WINNER: Network Rail - Intelligent infrastructure: winter aerial survey
The judges described Network Rail’s winter aerial survey as ‘great high impact work that has the power to mitigate incidents significantly and empower engineers to make better decisions’.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
London North Eastern Railway - LNER assistant
WINNER: Cyient - Sharing our similarities, celebrating our differences
Cyient presented an excellent balance of big picture thinking, demonstrating a real desire to improve and the resulting initiatives that show the feedback was taken on board.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Great Western Railway - Sharing the benefits
WINNER: GB Railfreight -Peterborough training simulator
Initially established to train 43 new drivers, the Peterborough training school has also helped to develop future industry leaders attracting both internal and external candidates.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Govia Thameslink Railway - One step ahead
WINNER: David Horne, London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
David Horne is a highly respected railway manager, who leads from the front, first at East Midlands and now at LNER, inspiring his staff and others, while setting a positive example for all to follow. The judges felt that his leadership of the East Coast franchise through a difficult transition and the introduction of new trains has been exemplary. He puts a public face to the railway and his proactive approach to his social media presence is a breath of fresh air.
WINNER: Network Rail - Brighton main line improvement project
The judges felt it was a brave decision to have such a long blockade at times outside the industry norms, but the volume of work achieved and the benefits have paid off. The bus replacement and particularly the arrangements at Three Bridges was well planned and executed.
WINNER: Thales & GWR - Robust train positioning technology
The judges felt this low-cost on-board positioning system was an impressive innovation which deserves encouragement, as it offers significant long term potential for delivering safety and performance benefits.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
SPL Powerlines UK
WINNER: Chris Hopcroft, GB Railfreight
Throughout his 60-year career, Chris Hopcroft has devoted himself to promoting safety and educating young people. The judges felt that he had gone the extra mile and consistently delivered, making made a significant contribution to railway safety.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Chris Davis, Network Rail
WINNER: Network Rail - You Vs Train
Trespass continues to be a major problem for the rail sector. The judges felt that this well-conceived if sobering campaign aimed at young people and their parents really worked because of its hard hitting approach.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Greater Anglia - Transforming the railway in East Anglia
WINNER: Victa Railfreight - Improving the competitiveness of rail freight
The judges described Victa’s approach to the Cemex Dove Holes contract as innovative, thorough and successful, bringing operational flexibility and cross-industry efficiencies.
WINNER: Siemens Mobility and Network Rail - Derby remodelling project team
The Derby remodelling was a well-designed and expertly delivered project that received plaudits from around the industry. The judges said this was clearly a challenging and complex scheme that required outstanding collaboration to deliver successfully.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
ScotRail in the community team
WINNER: Hitachi Rail and LNER - Azuma trains introduction
In a year characterised by numerous new train introductions, the judges felt the rollout of the Azuma fleet had been first class. The team approached this hugely complex challenge in a highly-planned way, adopting an incremental approach which generated positive feedback from stakeholders.
WINNER: Amey East Midlands – Safety Innovation and Excellence
The judges said Amey should be congratulated for pulling together a workforce operating on six different projects, developing a truly integrated safety system that created a culture of learning rather than blame.
WINNER: Twinfix - Aberdeen station roof renovation
The judges liked the way in which the principal contractor worked with a multitude of stakeholders on this complex project, making the best use of modern materials to maintain high standards of conservation.
WINNER: Kier - Southern power supply upgrade
The judges were impressed by the way in which Kier recognised that the Southern Power Supply Upgrade scheme could have a significant impact on the environment as well as people living in the area, and mobilised voluntary resources to make a positive impact.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
VolkerRail - Strategic sustainability goal
WINNER: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia had an excellent year in 2018-19, continuing to innovate while preparing for the arrival of its new trains. The judges commended it for launching the Norwich in 90 service with existing stock whilst also improving regional and commuter services.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Chiltern Railways
WINNER: Jon Bradley, MTR Elizabeth line
The judges were impressed by the breadth of Jon's performance-focused projects, which have made a real difference to customer experience, as well as gaining recognition across the industry with some 'best in class' ideas.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Paul Case, CPC Project Services