RBA2009 PreView Cover v2-1.indd - Rail Professional

Meet our sponsorsEversholt Rail GroupFor the 10th consecutive year, EversholtRail, the new trading name for HSBC Rail,has the privilege of being the main sponsorof the annual Rail Business Awards. Theseawards recognise the massive effortmade by companies and individuals to thesuccess of the rail industry during 2009.The year 2009 was an extremely busyyear for Eversholt Rail. The restructuringprocess started in the second half of 2008and continues today. The latest step in thisprocess was the rebranding as Eversholt Railin January 2010. Work continues to ensurethe business has access to alternative formsof financing and that its asset managementand project management skills are mademore widely available to other providers ofrolling stock finance.During 2009, Eversholt Rail was delightedto be involved in the launch of the highspeedservice, having invested £250m in thenew fleet of Hitachi Class 395s. This was theculmination of 10 years work. The processstarted with the business considering thehigh level of performance and reliability thatJapanese trains could offer and deciding towork with Hitachi.Eversholt Rail acted as programmemanager during development and delivery ofthis service, and it was with Southeastern,Hitachi, HS1 and many other industrybodies that this fleet was so successfullyintroduced into service, providing anexcellent example of what can be achievedwhen different teams across the industrywork together.Eversholt Rail recognises how importantit is that fleets are efficient and reliable. Thebusiness proactively looks for opportunitiesto invest in refurbishment and reliabilityimprovements in order to make the most ofits portfolio.This will become more important asaffordability and value-for-money criteriaincreasingly influence investment decisionsacross the industry. During 2009, majoroverhauls of its Class 321 fleet, Class 313fleet and Class 465 fleets were undertaken.It has worked to support the HLOSprogramme by planning and implementingsuccessful cascades of fleets, in particularthe Class 321s and the Class 313s.Looking back over the year, the successfulintroduction of new fleets, the largeinvestment in upgrade and refurbishment,and successful cascades of fleets acrossmany operators demonstrate the continuingneed for players in the industry to worktogether – the solutions are definitely not inone place!Association of Train Operating CompaniesAs the voice of the passenger railway,Atoc represents train companies to thegovernment, regulatory bodies, the mediaand other opinion formers on transportpolicy issues. It is also the co-ordinator ofjoint activities for train operators, includingrevenue allocation and settlement,National Rail Enquiries, railcard marketing,staff travel arrangements, internationalproducts, travel agent licensing, and thedelivery of various engineering projects.Atoc’s integrated transport activitiesinclude the Station Travel Plan Pilotprogramme, in which Tocs and localauthorities are working at 31 stations aroundthe country to promote environmentallyfriendly access modes and the £4m Bike NRide programme.Interfleet TechnologyFor the 10th year running, InterfleetTechnology is delighted to be sponsoringthe Business of the Year category at theRail Business Awards. ‘We are pleasedto continue our support of this award, torecognise and reward all-round businessexcellence and highlight outstandingbusiness achievement,’ says managingdirector David Rollin.Interfleet’s own business activities havecontinued to expand and develop in the last12 months. Among the key highlights in theUK are the pilot Early Deployment Schemeof the ERTMS Level 2 on the Cambrian Line,where Interfleet’s involvement has includedvehicle integration design, and turnkey fleetfitment of ERTMS to Arriva Trains Wales’Class 158 fleet, together with ERTMS trainingfor Arriva’s maintenance staff.Interfleet has also provided extensivesupport for Transport for London on a rangeof projects, including track remodellingat Croydon for the Tramlink system.Interfleet’s UK team has also delivereda range of international assignments,including supporting the CNR ChangchunRailway Vehicles Company in China with thedevelopment of bogie designs for new trainsfor the MTR Corporation, and independentvalidation and verification support of newdouble-deck trains for Sydney, Australia.These assignments, together with therecruitment of Kevin Beauchamp, formerchief operating officer of Colas Rail UK, tolead its infrastructure business, demonstrateInterfleet’s system-wide rail consultancycapabilities. Other recent appointments ofseven new consultants to the Training andCompetence Solutions team further buildson its market-leading reputation in this areaand enables it to meet the growing demandfor its value-adding consultancy advice.The company is also continuing toexpand internationally, with the openingof a new office in Mumbai, India, in early2010, alongside new offices in Adelaide andAuckland opened during 2009.David Rollin adds: ‘The current economicsituation continues to present significantchallenges for us all, but the prospects forrail remain very good, as it is an efficient andenvironmentally friendly mode of transport,with support for continued investmentacross the political spectrum.‘With our involvement in all UK headlineprojects, such as the Blackpool Tram project,Thameslink, the new Javelin trains andFreightliner’s new Class 70 locomotives– Interfleet Technology has much tocontribute.’Page three

Meet our sponsorsATAAs a specialist provider of enhancedrecruitment solutions to the rail sector, ATARail is proud to be sponsoring the EversholtRail Business Manager of the Year Award fora second year. ATA Rail continues to supportthe recognition of excellence in the railindustry, reflecting its own commitment toproviding services, that allow businesses toachieve distinction.Specialising in the provision of permanentand temporary personnel, ATA Rail holdsa high level of sector-specific expertise,enabling the facilitation of a comprehensiverecruitment process supporting technical,engineering and commercial activities ofrolling stock design, manufacture, operationsand maintenance. ATA Rail has built asolid niche-market business, developingrelationships with companies includingmanufacturers, train operating companies,consultancies and principle/main contractors.As part of the RTC Group, ATA Rail combines35 years of specialist technical recruitmentwith 75 years of rail safety training. The depthand breadth of skill and resources withinthe group allows ATA Rail to offer bespokesolutions across its divisions. Group membersATA Rail, Catalis and Ganymede Solutions,have each achieved an exemplary reputationwithin rail, and offer clients the ability tosource candidates, prepare them throughcomprehensive training and deploy fullytrained staff.ATA Rail draws upon the full group networkof 12 regional offices to support deliveryto all clients across the UK. The company’sextensive candidate database, builtorganically in-house, gives clients access toengineering, technical and managerial talentinternal and external to the rail market place.Additionally, its extensive advertisingbudget for intensely targeted onlineadvertising and regular attendance at sectorspecific events ensures that its candidatepool is continually updated.‘Our commitment to sourcing qualitycandidates extends far beyond that ofa generalist recruitment agency, withconsultants who have extensive networkswithin the rail industry and procedures whichfavour in-depth interviewing and testingover sporadic distribution of CVs,’ says ScottBulloch, head of ATA Rail.The combination of a leading railrecruitment and training business enablesATA Rail to provide clients with cost effectiveinnovative solutions, which enables thematching of candidates to the technicaland cultural fit of the client company, andfulfilment of any skills gaps through theappropriate training. The broad range ofcapability within the group, coupled with abespoke rather than ‘off the peg’ approachto solutions, ensures each individual clientreceives increased added value. ‘Whilst mostclients have similarities in their needs, it isunderstanding their unique differences thatallows us to differentiate and deliver a betterservice,’ says Scott.‘I very much look forward to presenting theaward to the worthy winner on the night,’ headds.Railway Industry AssociationThe Railway Industry Association (RIA)is the trade association for UK-basedsuppliers to the railway industry. Its 150member companies include manufacturers,maintainers, contractors, consultants,leasing companies and providers ofspecialist services.RIA provides a range of services to itsmembers and represents the interests ofthe supply industry to government and keystakeholders. As well as its own supplychain improvement and other initiatives, RIAtakes part in many cross-industry activitiesand is pleased to support the Rail BusinessAwards.RailnewsMonthly newspaper Railnews is sponsoringthe Rail Business Awards’ Excellence inInternal Communications category for thefifth year running. Railnews recognises theneed to encourage effective communicationacross the industry.With a readership of more than 200,000,Railnews plays an important part incommunicating what’s happening in the railindustry to a wide-ranging audience — fromboardroom executives to trackside staff.Railnews was first published 45 yearsago. After Sir Peter Parker, who placed greatemphasis on internal communications,became BR chairman in 1977, Railnewswas issued to all rail industry employees, apolicy that continued until privatisation. BRshut down Railnews in October 1996, but aPage fourgroup of former rail managers re-launchedthe paper independently four months later.Since February 1997, some 10 million copieshave been printed and circulated.Understanding that readers want morethan just the reporting of day-to-day news,Railnews works hard to document majordevelopments taking place throughout theindustry. In addition to its monthly printeditions, Railnews also provides up-totheminute news and readers’ views to anexpanding audience on its Railnews.co.ukwebsite.In 2008, Railnews expanded its role inindustry communications when NationalRail Enquiries and Passenger Focus, thepassenger industry consumer watchdog,both chose Railnews to distribute theirpublications The Enquirer and PassengerVoice to people in the industry — using boththe newspaper and the website.Railnews also marked completion of the£9bn West Coast Route Modernisation witha special edition – West Coast Story – partsponsoredby Network Rail.Recognising the importance of sharinggood news and awareness, Railnewscontinues to support the Rail BusinessAwards.‘The awards, as well as being among themost popular within the industry, reflecthow the railway really works with categoriesthat feature its many functions, from ITand engineering to our speciality, internalcommunications,’ says editorial director AlanMarshall.

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 PreviewThe Institution of Railway OperatorsThe Institution of Railway Operators (IRO)was launched in May 2000 to:• Advance and promote the competenceof those engaged in the safe operation ofrailways by developing a range of nationallyrecognised qualifications; and• Ensure the institution acts as thecustodian of best practice in railwayoperational management.It is able to offer its members ‘distancelearning’ courses at Glasgow CaledonianUniversity, leading to diploma or degree(BSc) level qualifications. To date, 82students, all holding day jobs in the railindustry, have graduated and currently 146are undertaking the university-based selfstudycourses.The institution is proud of the fact thatin only a few years 34 major rail operatingcompanies have joined, including IarnrodEireann and CRC Australia.Chris Daughton, chief executive of theIRO, says : ‘We are especially pleased tobe the sponsors of the first ever YoungProfessional of the Year award. The calibreof the entries illustrated that the future ofthe rail industry is in the hands of some verytalented young people.’For further information, please visitwww.railwayoperators.orgSSPFor the eighth consecutive year, SSP UK Railis sponsoring the Train Operator of the Yearcategory at the 2010 Rail Business Awards.SSP UK is the leading operator of foodand beverage brands in travel and leisurelocations, and its rail arm operates morethan 400 food outlets at railway stationsacross the country. With a portfolio of brandsthat includes M&S Simply Food, Starbucks,Caffè Ritazza, Upper Crust, Millie’s Cookies,Camden Food Co, Pumpkin Café-Shops andBurger King, the company leads the industryin knowing exactly what consumers wantwhile on the move.Tony Keating, SSP UK chief executive said:‘We are delighted to once again cement ourcommitment to supporting train operatorsand the important role they play in ensuringa smooth operation for travellers across theUK. By sponsoring the Train Operator of theYear category, we have the opportunity togive something back to the industry and torecognise excellence in rail service operation.’Successfully building and maintaining thereputation of its brands made 2009 a greatyear for SSP UK Rail, achieving positive likefor-likesales growth across the business,despite the 2009 recession. This successcan be attributed to the company’s ability toquickly spot and adapt to market trends.Railway Benefit FundFor the fifth year running, The Rail BusinessAwards’ chosen charity is The RailwayBenefit Fund – the only UK charity dedicatedsolely to railway personnel in the UK andIreland.The RBF was founded in the 19th century toprovide support to active and retired railwaystaff and their dependents in need throughillness, injury, bereavement, or adversity.Now in its 152nd year, the charity is still asimportant to the industry of today as it was tothose early railway workers in 1858. In thesetrying economic times when jobs, pensionsand savings are all a good deal less secure,people increasingly turn to the RBF for help.Indeed, the fund gets requests for financialassistance beyond its limited resources andthere is a lot of real hardship out there causedby illness, loss of work, family breakdown andthe effect of rising costs on older pensioners.Last year the RBF helped more than 700people in need, providing grants in theregion of £500,000 for a huge range ofnecessities, including mobility aids, specialistmedical treatment, help with funeral costs,educational costs and emergency paymentsin times of financial distress or domesticcrisis.Can you help?The RBF relies on the support of people likeyou to help colleagues and their familiesin need and distress. You can ‘do your bit’through payroll giving, regular donationsor fundraising at staff events throughoutthe year. Even a small weekly donation canchange lives.To find out more, visit the Railway BenefitFund’s website: www.railwaybenefitfund.orgDepartment for TransportThe Department for Transport is delightedto be sponsoring the Station ExcellenceAward, for the first time.Rail journeys don’t just start and endon a train. Stations are not only gatewaysto destinations, but significant to thecommunities they serve. That is why wecommissioned the recent station championsreport.We are investing in a range of programmesthat directly improve stations – we currentlyfund the Access for All scheme, whichprovides accessibility improvements thatbenefit disabled people. We also work withNetwork Rail, train operators and CyclingEngland to improve cycle facilities at stationsand we back the Secure Stations scheme,operated by most train operators across thecountry and independently assessed by theBritish Transport Police.The 2009 Station Excellence award aims torecognise the people behind successful newideas, or outstanding business performanceat UK railway stations. We understand thedifference this can make to passengers’journeys and so we are delighted to besupporting the category this year.Page five

Meet our sponsorsThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and TransportThe Chartered Institute of Logistics andTransport has a worldwide membership ofsome 32,000 individuals, two thirds of themin the UK. It is the professional body for thetransport and logistics profession, coveringall modes and areas of activity, encouraginginvolvement and providing opportunity for all.The institute’s primary objective is educationand personal development, with a keychallenge being the promotion of professionaldevelopment. An educated, informed andhighly trained workforce is essential if we areto tackle the daunting transport and logisticsproblems that face our world today. CILT hasrepresentative bodies in more than 30 countriesacross the world, with the UK organisationrunning 13 regional groups for local meetingsand more than 30 special interest forumsthat meet regularly. The institute has eightprofessional sectors, designed to serve theneeds of individuals and businesses fromacross the world of logistics and transport,and CILT Rail welcomes both existing and newmembers of the rail sector to get involved.With a focus on the development ofprofessional excellence and the promotionof best practice and leading-edge thinking inlogistics and transport, the institute aims toencourage the promotion of policies that areefficient, sustainable and responsive to thechallenges of a changing world.CILT provides a comprehensive qualificationsprogramme to enhance the knowledge,competence and respect of individuals workingin logistics and transport. The qualifications,which range from level 2 through certificate,diploma and advanced diplomas up to MSc,are recognised worldwide as testament toprofessional achievement and ability.Membership of the institute is availablethrough a range of grades right up to CharteredFellowship and is dependent on a combinationof qualifications and experience. Its aim is towelcome and support all members personallyand professionally in the development of theircareers.Join today! Contact: 01536 740104 or visit thewebsite at: www.ciltuk.org.ukRail ProfessionalIndustry magazine Rail Professional waslaunched soon after rail privatisation togive railway managers their own crediblemonthly publication. The magazine reportson the business side of Britain’s railways,differentiating itself from the many otherrailway titles aimed at enthusiasts.Each month, Rail Professional bringsreaders news about the people, the politicsand the policies that shape the railwayindustry, reporting on both passenger andfreight operations. Every issue features an indepthinterview with a senior figure from therail industry, as well as analysis and commenton developments in the UK’s railways.The magazine’s impressive team of writersincludes columnist Robert Wright, theFinancial Times’ transport correspondent, aswell as BBC correspondents Paul Clifton andPeter Plisner, and former Manchester EveningNews transport correspondent Alan Salter.Both Robert Wright and editor Katie Silvesterwon awards for their transport writing in2009, while Paul Clifton and Alan Salter haveboth named CILT Transport Journalist of theYear.Rail Professional, which has beeninvolved with the awards since they began,is delighted to be sponsoring the MarketingCampaign of the Year award this year.To find out more about the magazine, or toorder your monthly copy, visit the website at:www.railpro.co.ukVTGAs Europe’s leading wagon hire and raillogistics company, it’s fitting that VTG Rail UKreturns to sponsor the Railfreight Excellencecategory in the Rail Business Awards.‘It’s great that there is now an awarddesigned specifically for companies in therail freight sector. They make a massivecontribution to the economy, as well as tothe environment, so we are only too happy tocontinue to support this category,’ says RobBrook, VTG’s managing director.VTG has achieved a number of its ownsuccesses over the last year. In January itsigned a new 15-year agreement with TarmacBuxton Lime and Cement (TBLC) for thepurchase and leaseback of its key fleet of 50wagons. The start of the year also saw thecompany mark its entry into the coal marketwith a contract to supply coal wagons tofreight operator First GBRf. Under the termsPage sixof the deal VTG was to provide First GBRf with89 brand new HYA wagons. In June the first20 of the wagons entered service and VTGsuccessfully delivered the remaining wagonsby November 2009. The wagons have nowcommenced work transporting extra volumesof coal to power stations in Trent Valley for EDFEnergy.In April the company celebrated the firstanniversary of its aluminium bogie cementwagons entering service. During their first yearthe wagons moved more than 150,000 tonnes ofcement, saving the equivalent of approximately5,000 lorry journeys. In September VTG pickedup the Technical Development Award for theseinnovative lightweight wagons, which are fittedwith track-friendly bogies giving them a tareweight of approximately 19.5 tonnes, a saving ofeight to 10 tonnes over some older steel-bodiedbogie powder tanks, and an estimated fivetonnes over a steel wagon of the same moderndesign.As the year came to a close, VTG proved thatit is constantly ahead of the market by signinga contract with First GBRf to modify some of itscoal hopper fleet in order to move biomass viarail for the first time. Working in conjunctionwith its key suppliers, Lloyds Register Rail andWH Davis, VTG will be retrofitting the wagonswith a state-of-the-art, automated roof system,which will ensure the biomass remains inoptimum condition throughout its journey.Brook adds: ‘Despite the difficult economicenvironment, 2009 was a successful yearfor VTG. I’m proud of our achievements andexcited about what the coming year will bring.In particular, it’s great to be involved with thefirst project to transport biomass by rail, whichreinforces our commitment to support ourcustomers in bringing more freight to rail.’

IRO SSP Young Train Professional Operator of of the yearin a manner where all staff feel that they aremaking contributions to the future success ofthe business.Following a recent promotion, Speed hasjust been given a complete production facility,of over 120,000 square feet, to manage andapply the same techniques and managementapproach with the anticipation of achievingsimilar results.Rob ClaytonRob Clayton, Northern RailA talented engineer, as well as a people andcontract manager, Rob Clayton demonstratesa level of professionalism and commitmentbeyond his years. As a class engineer for avariety of trains in Northern’s huge complexfleet of diesel and electric trains, Claytonhas delivered a number of high profilerefurbishment programmes that have beenon time, on budget and set new standards forothers to meet.As a senior manager at Newton Heath depot,which manages 40 per cent of Northern’s fleet,Clayton leads and motivates a team of 60people, responsible for carrying out the routineand heavy maintenance on up to 50 trains inany single shift.Craig Speed, RailcareCraig Speed was tasked with the regenerationof a derelict facility and preparing for the reintroductionof rail vehicles for maintenanceand renovation. He displayed a mature andstructured implementation of managementtechniques, combined with man-managementskills beyond his years.Speed has shown that he can motivate teamsto perform over and above expectations andMalcolm de Souza, Nomad DigitalRecruited by Nomad in 2005 as a juniortechnician, Malcolm de Souza’s outstandingability, personality and hard work haveensured rapid progression in the company.He has shown ability to manage projectdesign processes at all stages of a project, aswell as managing the customer interface andcommunicating with customers at all levels withassurance and courtesy.De Souza transferred seamlessly from retrofitprojects to a more challenging large newbuildproject for a foreign national railway. Heunderstands interfaces and has commercial andtechnical skills far in excess of those expectedof someone of his experience.Daniel Williams, First CapitalConnectAs head of customer service delivery atFirst Capital Connect, Daniel Williams is theultimate young manager. He has already had a17-year career in the business after starting asa cleaner as an eager 17-year-old.Now, after an amazing rise that has seenhim progress ever higher up the career ladder,he is an inspirational leader with overallresponsibility for a team of nearly 800. Hisjourney is not yet complete and his appetite forimprovement is still sharp and enthusiastic.Craig SpeedMalcolm De SouzaDaniel WilliamsPage seven

SSP IRO Young Train Operator Professional the of year the yearStacy McElroyLouisa CravenTricia MadgeStacy McElroy, First TransPennineExpressStacy McElroy joined FTPE as part ofFirstGroup’s management training investment,impressing the ‘Dragon’s Den’ of interviewerswith her academic achievement, poise andfocus. During her all-departments training,her managers remarked on her ability to pickthings up quickly, delivering professionaloutputs well ahead of expectations.Recruited by the fleet team as fleet engineer,McElroy manages the Class 170 fleet for thecompany, and has delivered a successfulrefurbishment and introduction project, anda performance growth programme that hasdoubled reliability in two years.McElroy continues to exceed expectationsand inspires confidence and respect fromcolleagues, seniors and customers alike.Louise Craven, LorolSince arriving at London Overground RailOperations Ltd (Lorol) on a temporary contractin spring 2008, Louisa Craven has risenthrough the ranks to become a permanentemployee, heading up one of the company’smost important projects.She is customer service manager for the EastLondon Line which incorporates 10 operatingstations and the new East London Line, whichis under construction. Craven’s self-motivationand flair for understanding what Lorol needsto deliver contractually, means she is a greatambassador who helps make the company’svision of transforming the railway a reality.Tricia Madge, London UndergroundTricia Madge is the performance managerdirectly accountable for the quality of trainservice on London Underground’s Central andWaterloo & City lines.Madge rapidly progressed from LU’s graduateprogramme, which she joined in 2001, throughjunior and middle management operationalroles, and has displayed outstanding drive anddetermination. Her age and gender are nottypical for these high-profile roles, and therehave been few recent precedents. Madge hassignificantly improved performance withinlarge teams composed chiefly of long-servingmanagers where experience is typically viewedas a key criterion for advancement.Gina Wilczkiewicz, CubicTransportation SystemsCubic Transportation Systems’ GinaWilczkiewicz is an outstanding young projectmanager. She works diligently to make sureGina Wilczkiewicz John Till Liam HockingsPage eight

ailProfessional Subscription AD Quarter.indd 1 26/6/09 14:26:55Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewher customers’ needs are always met, and theirexpectations exceeded.Wilczkiewicz is trustworthy, reliable, helpful,hard working, quick learning and is alwaysbright and cheerful. This goes a long way toexplain why she is such a well-liked and wellrespectedmember of the team, and one whohas really made her mark across the Cubicbusiness.John Till, National Rail EnquiriesJohn Till joined National Rail Enquiries (NRE)in 2006 as information quality manager. Sincejoining the NRE team, Till has proved himselfto be a truly outstanding individual – hisability to go above and beyond the parametersof his role and his genuine thirst for railwayknowledge has meant that not only has hebecome indispensable to NRE, but to theindustry as a whole.His expertise has led to his manager sayingthat there is nobody at his level or indeedmore senior, who has the degree and breathof knowledge about railway informationsystems and how they feed into each other,that he possesses.He is an expert and the leading mind onrailway information in his field, somethingthat he has achieved before reaching theage of 35. Currently, there is no one whois capable of doing his job to the level atwhich he is performing – he has becomeirreplaceable.Liam Hockings, RailcareRailcare recruited Liam Hockings in January2009 to radically change Railcare’s projectmanagement approach to bid management onlarge customer contracts.Hockings has been given the autonomy andresponsibility to lead the 465 HLR bid, fromits early concept to its delivery, giving HSBCmore accountability and focus throughout theprocess.He was able to liaise internally with all of thekey people to ensure that HSBC’s requirementswere understood and challenged, ensuring bestvalue for money. This approach has allowedRailcare to respond promptly to any alterationsleading up to the preferred bidder stage of theprocess.Liam is now working tirelessly with HSBCand Southern representatives to tighten downthe specification, ensuring a smooth transitionthrough the initial build phase, which will startin February 2010.Andrew Sidgwick (centre on bench)Andrew Sidgwick, First CapitalConnectAs a graduate entering the rail business,Andrew Sidgwick has hit the ground runningand has already had a huge influence on theproperty department at First Capital Connect,thanks to his personality and the work he hasachieved.The industry needs people like AndrewSidgwick if it is to thrive and grow andencourage other individuals of a similar ilkto come onboard. He is an impressive youngman with a lot to give and displays a level ofexperience and maturity that belies his years.INNOVATIVE EVENTSIMAGINATIVE COVERAGETake out a subscription today!Rail Professional is the leading business-to-business magazine fortoday’s modern industry. Ensure that you keep in touch withdevelopments by taking out a subscription today.INFORMATIVE PUBLICATIONSINSPIRATIONAL DESIGNName:Company:Position/title:Address:Tel:Fax:Email:First year’s subscription £39 (UK residents only – overseas residents, please call+44 (0)1223 477411 for details)I enclose a CHEQUE for £39 made out to Rail ProfessionalI wish to pay by CREDIT CARD Visa Amex MastercardMy card number is:Expiry date:Signature3 digit security number:info@woodhousecommunications.co.uk - www.woodhousecommunications.co.ukt: 01444 221000Please post with cheque to Rail Professional, 275 Newmarket Road,Cambridge, CB5 8JE. Or fax with credit card details to 01223 327356info@woodhousecreative.co.uk - www.woodhousecreative.co.ukt: 01444 221007Page nine

Supplier Excellence of the yearHoughton InternationalCarlisleWeather IntelligenceTrain4changeWorking in partnership with a number of Tocsover the last 10 years, Train4change has hada positive impact on customer satisfactiontargets, performance figures and enablingsuccessful culture change.As the rail industry has adapted andchanged, the company has continued togrow and develop, to maintain the qualityand consistency of its service. Specialising inbehavioural change, Train4change believes thatpeople do not start to change their behaviouruntil they feel the need to do so, and respondemotively. Using actors and techniques fromtheatre, as well as other creative approaches,Train4change will recreate delegates’ workingenvironments and bring them face-to-face withdifficult management situations.Bombardier transportationOrbita is Bombardier Transportation’sgroundbreaking service capability. A set ofpeople, processes and tools help identify trainservice issues before they occur and pinpointPage tenCubic Transportation Systemsproblems accurately when they have occurred.Orbita combines data gathered from trainswhile they are running, with BombardierTransportation’s global fleet knowledge andengineering expertise, to enable active, holisticmanagement of vehicle and infrastructuremaintenance, performance and operation.Using advanced tools and processes, Orbitaprovides advice and information that presentsBombardier’s customers with the means toachieve new levels of operational efficiency,service availability and train reliability.JourneycallJourneycall is a unique independentspecialist contact centre provider to UK railand public transport operators. It works formajor industry players such as Atoc, TfL andRaileasy, as well as ‘blue chip’ operatorsStagecoach and Go-Ahead. Prestigiouscontracts serviced by Journeycall include:Disabled Persons Railcard, Webtis supportfor Raileasy, Southern, Southeastern andLondon Midland and Oyster card support.Journeycall believes that climate changemakes sustainable public transport the futuretravel choice, with cycling and walking. Itsaim is to make it easy for people to accessenvironmentally friendly travel options throughreadily accessible simple information, ticketingchoices and payment methods.Houghton InternationalIn February 2009, Houghton Internationalovercame a severe winter failure problemexperienced by First Capital Connect byoverhauling more than 40 of its G310 tractionmotors in a seventh of the usual time withno advance warning. Impressively, this wascompleted without additional machinery,without additional staff and, most importantly,without compromising work required for othercustomers.By working in partnership with the trainoperator, First Capital Connect, and the directcustomer, Unipart Rail, the company achieved afantastic result.Carlisle Cleaning and SupportServicesAs a company that believes in a partnershipapproach, Carlisle Cleaning and SupportServices endeavours to understand and adaptto the values and culture of all its industrypartners.Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services is akey player in the drive to increase standardsand customer satisfaction – two areas that willultimately lead to further business growth forboth customer and supplier.Weather IntelligenceWeather Intelligence is a consultancy thathelps infrastructure organisations get the bestvalue from weather and climate change data.Weather Intelligence has worked withSerco Docklands to investigate the linkbetween specific signal failures, called noncommunicatingtrack trains (NCTs), and theweather on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).The project helped Serco Docklands unlocksavings of more than £300,000 in four months,through integrating weather information intocontrol room processes. The outputs of thework not only benefited Serco Docklandsfinancially but also delivered significant serviceimprovements.Hitachi Rail EuropeHitachi brought its high standards inadherence to quality and delivery times to theUK rail industry. A ‘culture of no surprises’,established with Hitachi’s suppliers andcustomers, ensured transparency and clearchannels of communication to work together

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewto eliminate issues before they turn intoproblems.An integrated depot system, establishedat Ashford depot, communicates both withoperators and suppliers in improving supplychain efficiency. The impact on the environmentis minimised through ISO 14001 certificationand through on-schedule delivery andpassenger service six months early. HitachiClass 395 trains add to an already high level ofpassenger satisfaction, and society’s growinginterest in HS2.Cubic Transportation SystemsOyster has already revolutionised travel inLondon, but when Cubic signed the FutureTicketing Agreement with Transport forLondon, it was determined to show TfL that itcould provide an even higher quality of service.Cubic has changed and tightened itsperformance criteria to align its serviceregime with the desired service, has increasedopenness by sharing more performance datathrough dashboards in TfL offices, and improvedinternal systems. Also, by using PDAs, it hasensured that the best qualified engineer gets tothe site in the fastest time.Associated British PortsAssociated British Ports has recently gainednew business, primarily because of serviceimprovements and sustained performance inthe current financial year, including three newtrain services operating from ABP Hams Hall.AB Ports has also gained efficiency andincreased productivity by 40 per cent, as wellas reducing fuel usage by 0.75 litres per lift,producing annual savings of 163,000 litresof fuel and 436 tonnes of CO2. The port hasimproved truck-turn times gate-to-gate (realtime) to provide consistent strip and reloadtimes, typically 30 minutes or less, enablingcustomers to plan correctly and truck operatorsto maximise efficiency.RaileasyThe creation of Raileasy has introducedcompetition into an industry that previouslyonly had one online ticket retailer.The service has prompted its rivals to improvetheir product offering, making the market morecompetitive and benefiting the customer whonow has more options when booking ticketson the web. The Raileasy site will display thecheapest price, or more flexible fare, for eachjourney in the customer’s preferred time bands.Raileasy encourages people to book early inorder to receive big savings compared to theprice of tickets brought at the station on the dayof travel. The site is already saving visitors 30per cent, on average, on the price of their ticket.HitachiJourneycallAB PortsTrain4changeRaileasyPage eleven

Railnews Internal Communications of the yearVirgin TrainsFor Virgin Trains, communicating with a3,000-plus workforce is a major challenge,with staff based at 28 locations, separatedby more than 500 miles.The challenge was made harder, giventhat the majority of the workforce were notoffice based. The innovative solution was tostrip most of the seats out a coach and turnit into a mobile briefing vehicle to enableinformation to be handed out and concernsaddressed in advance of the introductionof the new West Coast high frequencytimetable. This enabled a series of briefings,all supported by senior directors, at alllocations where staff were based.Tube LinesInnovators was an internal communicationscampaign to encourage the developmentof new ideas and different ways of workingamong Tube Lines employees.Under the campaign, innovation was put atthe heart of everything Tube Lines does andresults were achieved through a combinationof regular internal communications channels– staff briefings, newsletters, intranet – andspecial events, activities and competitionsunder the umbrella of an InnovationFortnight.The campaign was popular with employeesand was overwhelmingly successfulin encouraging innovation and raisingawareness of the support available from TubeLines. The total number of employees whoknew what help and support was availableto turn their ideas into reality more thandoubled, and in the month following theInnovators campaign, 45 new ideas were sentin compared to just five in the previous threemonths.Docklands Light RailwayFollowing feedback, staff did not feelfully informed about DLR. An internalcommunications strategy was quicklydeveloped to bring the team closer togetherand keep morale high during a particularlybusy period upgrading the network for the2012 Games.Internal communications tactics wereselected to fit in with the ‘family’ – yetambitious – company culture at DLR. Faceto-facecontact with senior managers atstaff seminars, fortnightly team briefingsand inductions were complemented byinformal methods such as staff awards andnewsletters.This has resulted in a ringing endorsementfrom staff and a significant improvement inbusiness performance, including opening theWoolwich Arsenal extension seven weeksahead of schedule.First Great Western –WesternLinesThe staff magazine at First Great Western,WesternLines, was launched in summer2008 to mark a fresh approach to the waySoutheasternFirst Capital ConnectFirst GBRfDLRTube LinesPage twelve

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewthe company engages with its staff.After suffering poor performance andlow staff morale, something was neededto turn this around and encourage teamspirit. It came after staff from across thebusiness highlighted the need for an internalpublication. Approximately 120 readersrespond to each issue and the results of arecent survey showed that 94 per cent ofpeople enjoyed reading WesternLines.First Great Western – Safety andBusiness BriefingFirst Great Western colleagues did notfeel they were receiving the necessaryinformation to do their jobs well.Following a staff survey, First GreatWestern made the decision to develop a newbriefing system with the aim of producinga more consistent brief, which is relevantto the audience and includes an effectivefeedback system. The company has nowlaunched a new safety and business brief,with the intention of rolling similar schemesout throughout the business. The processhas been well received by colleagues, andfeedback to date reveals they have awardedit an average score of 4.5 out of five.First Capital ConnectTwo major ongoing challenges for FirstCapital Connect (FCC) are to deliverits commitments for the ThameslinkProgramme and to continually improve itsresponse to service disruption – the bêtenoir of train operators.To tackle these challenges, FCC recognisedit had to empower employees, throughimproved access to information, to betterserve customers during this challengingperiod of change.In December 2008, FCC introducedPlatform, the innovative one-stop employeeinformation shop and extranet. Platform hasquickly become one of FCC’s most importantbusiness-critical systems, as it helps FCC todeliver for its employees, its customers andthe future.Knorr-Bremse Rail SystemsAt the beginning of 2009, Knorr-BremseUK decided to take a completely fresh lookat its internal communications, includinghow they were currently being accessed byemployees.Knorr-Bremse researched a representative10 per cent sample of employees, askingwhat information they really needed toenable them to be fully involved in thebusiness. Following this, an internalcommunications policy and process wasimplemented in October 2009, including aninternal communications team formed fromvolunteers to report, exchange and facilitatedissemination of accurate information.New ‘tools’ were implemented includingan innovative Employee Information System,with screens located around the companyshowing information in ‘real time’.First TransPennine ExpressVirgin TrainsKnorr-BremsePage thirteen

Preview Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009Northern RailFirst Great Western – Safety and BusinessSoutheasternSoutheastern developed the ‘big picture’campaign to help improve employeeengagement and create an internaldialogue and common understanding of thecompany’s objectives and goals.The big picture is an image, created byemployees, capturing the company’s visionof how it intends to become one of theUK’s leading train operators and highlightthe challenges and opportunities facingthe company over the next 18 months andbeyond.To help explain and encourage discussion,a ‘big picture’ of Southeastern was created.The idea is that anyone, in any department ofthe company, can look at the picture and seehow they fit into the organisation, and look atthe past, the present, and an ideal version ofthe future, as described by fellow employees.Page fourteenLondon UndergroundFirst Great Western – WesternLinesLondon UndergroundThe demand on the London Undergroundhas never been higher, so the Tube mustdeliver major improvements to keep up withthis growth and to deliver the service thatLondon needs and deserves.London Underground realised there was aneed for staff to work together in ways thatwere new both for the staff and for LondonUnderground in general.As part of a sustained employeeengagement programme, LU developed‘Valuing Time’, a series of one-dayworkshops for every one of LU’s 10,500operational staff. The workshops wereintended to ensure that every member ofstaff was better able to understand theirown role and the roles of their colleagues,and to better understand the challengesand opportunities presented by the Tube’stransformation. The ultimate objective ofthe workshops was to help equip employeesto play their role in driving up performanceby minimising journey times, maximisingcustomer satisfaction – and delivering abetter service for all.First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express (FTPE) employsapproximately 1,000 staff and throughoutthe last year it has significantly ramped upits internal communications activities.Operating in a challenging andeconomically difficult environment, FTPErealised that if it was to prosper, rather thanjust survive, in the recession then its peoplewere key to delivering great service everyday. As such these ‘deliverers’ needed to beinformed and fully engaged in the business.FTPE thus sought to provide communicationsthat inspired colleagues to achieve resultsand continually improve the customeroffering.FTPE remains one of the few growingtrain operators – and that success is downto the teams across its business and theinformation it has received.Northern RailTell Heidi is a channel for employees tosend in rumours or ideas and suggestionsfor improvements to Heidi Mottram, themanaging director of Northern Rail. Sheanswers them through a monthly newsletteror replies personally to the individual.The company has also taken the concepton the road by organising Tell Heidi Live roadshows. The Tell Heidi brand also provided aplatform to re-launch the employee survey,which helped to drive an 85 per cent increasein the response rate – and showed that 72per cent of employees enjoy working forNorthern.First GBRfAs the company has grown, freight operatorFirst GBRf has had to modify its approachto its internal communications strategyto accommodate a larger staff base andincreased level of productivity.A good example of how First GBRf haschanged with the times is the introductionof its Mobile Worker Project, a device whichallows staff on the ground to access all thedata they require day to day.Not only does the project improveproductivity, as it makes information moreaccessible, therefore saving time andreducing costs to the company – it alsoprovides a new channel of communication forground staff.

PR Campaign of the yearNorthern RailFirst TransPennine ExpressSoutheasternTranslinkGreengauge 21First Capital ConnectTranslinkIn Summer 2008, Translink NI Railwaysbegan a £12.5m track-life extension projecton the Londonderry Railway line thatconcluded, on time and on budget, at the endof June 2009.The project aimed to provide TranslinkNorthern Ireland Railways passengers with abetter local rail service to ultimately continuepassenger growth along the LondonderryLine. The programme of work consisted oftwo phases. The second, larger, track relayphase involved a 13-week railway line closurebetween Ballymena and Coleraine. The PRcampaign was devised to keep passengers,residents, stakeholders and the generalpublic fully informed.SoutheasternThe objectives for Southeastern’s PRcampaign were to increase awareness for thelaunch of its new high-speed preview service,to improve Southeastern’s reputation, reacha wide range of audiences and support theregeneration of Kent and Thames Gatewayarea.Using the organisation’s small in-house PRand communications team, a programme ofPR events was created to successfully launchthe UK’s first ever domestic high-speed‘preview’ services. The key messages werekept simple, concentrating on ‘speed’ and‘time savings.’ The imagery and pictures ofthe event were focused on the Hitachi highspeedtrain – modern technology and aniconic design.The PR campaign generated anunprecedented amount of powerful positivepress coverage, equivalent to around£500,000 advertising value. The momentumcontinued growing organically in the followingweeks – with a double-page spread in theEvening Standard entitled ‘All aboard thehappy train’ and awarded ‘best transport’ byTime Out in the Best of London 2009 specialissue.First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect had become awarethat it can be difficult to engage with thetravelling public – they are often on autopilotand become immune to posters, signage oradvertisements.That’s why FCC felt it was so importantto develop an eye-catching, engagingcommunication campaign to capture theimagination of its customers for the durationof the Thameslink Programme.The campaign has been amazingly wellreceived by customers and its impact hasbeen significant with nearly 100 per centawareness of the programme amongst thecommuter passenger group. The ThameslinkProgramme website is the cornerstone of thecampaign and with more than 270,000 sitehits, it has been a thundering success.Greengauge 21In 2007, Greengauge 21 set out to convinceBritain of the case for high-speed rail.Through continual lobbying, briefing,consultations, speeches, and publiccomment, Jim Steer and Julie Mills promotedhigh-speed rail, initially in the face ofindifference and scepticism.An innovative public interest group wasestablished in 2008 to fund an authoritativebody of research, and in September 2009Greengauge 21 published the Fast Forwardhigh-speed rail strategy for Britain. Thereis now cross-party political commitment tohigh-speed and widespread support fromthe rail industry, city councils and regionalauthorities. High-speed rail is now at the topof the transport agenda.First TransPennine ExpressTrain operator First TransPennine Expressrealised that during the recession, thechances of encouraging leisure travellersto take the train and spend precious cashon non-essential journeys were pretty slim.With this in mind, the company took on thechallenge of making the recession good forbusiness.Through a combination of communicationsand marketing tactics, excellent inviting offersand value for money deals, the companyshowed how a positive approach in a negativeclimate could pay dividends. Passengernumbers continued to grow, income wasmaintained and the company’s reputation as avalue-for-money company was enhanced.Northern RailThe Northern Rail Film Challenge is anindustry-first partnership that gives youngpeople a unique opportunity to producepowerful, emotional films about railwaysafety that speak directly to their friends andpeers.Northern Rail worked with schools andcolleges to challenge teams of 14 to 19-yearoldstaking a new vocational qualification toresearch, film, produce and edit a three to fiveminute film to encourage their peers to keepout of trouble.The project achieved excellent mediacoverage – the films are being used as part ofthe company’s community programme, andthe feedback from schools and colleges hasbeen superb.Page fifteen

Rail Professional Marketing Campaign of the yearScotRailScottish operator ScotRail revised itsmarketing strategy to reflect the changingeconomic climate. Although the family marketwas amongst the hardest hit by the recession,there was still an underlying opportunityfor growth. As a result, ScotRail chose KidsGo Free as the main focus for above-theline-spendand results have exceeded allexpectations.Revenue from Kids Go Free between April andAugust 2009 showed a year-on-year increaseof 45.7 per cent and passenger journeys roseby 37.1 per cent. The campaign demonstratedinnovative marketing techniques andcommunication strategies.CrossCountryEast Midlands TrainsScotRailEast CoastTranslinkEast Coast – Miniature PricesMerseyrailEurostarTranslinkSteady growth has been achieved by TranslinkNI Railways over recent years. The state-ownedoperator achieved the HSBC Rail Business ofthe Year Award for 2008.Northern Ireland Railways is keen to buildon this success, continuing to develop newmarket segments and provide integrated travelsolutions for its passengers. The SummerTourism Campaign was developed to promotevalue-for-money offers on NI Railways services,promotional tickets for integrated rail and bustravel, and targeted publications for the tourismmarket for the summer period.It has succeeded in increasing passengerjourneys and revenue, as well as creating brandawareness within the leisure travel market.East Coast – £5 FareTowards the end of 2008, East Coast saw adramatic slowdown in advance ticket bookingsas a result of the credit crunch, which had hitBritain with a vengeance.To address this, East Coast embarked uponan aggressive three-week marketing campaign,which centred on the launch of a special ‘creditcrunch beating’ £5 promotional fare, markingthe first anniversary of National Express as trainoperator of the East Coast Main Line.It was the cheapest fare ever offered byEast Coast and exceeded all expectations,generating more than £420,000 of incrementalrevenue. It was the fastest selling promotionalfare to date and post-campaign researchrevealed that 51 per cent of customers whopreviously had no journey planned bought aticket as a result of the offer.East Coast – Miniature PricesCampaignIn autumn 2008, East Coast launched itsfirst ever television campaign to promote itsadvance purchase fares, drive leisure traveland boost brand awareness of East Coast asPage sixteen

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewthe train operator along the East Coast MainLine.The television campaign utilised theadaptable Miniature Prices creative concept,bringing to life a model-sized miniature world,which was also applied to all supportingmarketing activity, ensuring a consistent‘miniature’ theme throughout.The campaign was highly successful,boosting sales at traditionally quiet periods fortravel, acquiring new first-time customers anddelivering over £15m of incremental revenue.Post-campaign research revealed that animpressive 61 per cent of the general public hadrecalled seeing the television adverts and thatone in four people were aware that East Coastoperated trains along the ECML.Merseyrail ElectricsThe year 2008 proved a landmark year forMerseyside and Merseyrail as the operatortransported thousands of visitors to majorprojects and events across the north-west ofEngland during Liverpool’s reign as EuropeanCapital of Culture.The year 2009 was always going to bechallenging after such a successful year in 2008.Rather than resting on its laurels, Merseyrailbuilt on this success and delivered an increasein both revenue and passenger numbers atits key summer destinations. Throughout thesummer, Merseyrail promoted the best thatMerseyside has to offer in beaches, shoppingand attractions. The campaign had netted:• A return (ROI) of almost 10:1;• 115,000 additional journeys; and• £172,000 in additional revenue.CrossCountryThe Switch campaign combined advertising,CRM and consumer PR, setting out toencourage modal switch to rail and channelswitch to CrossCountry’s website.It presented rail as a credible mode andCrossCountry as a credible long-distancechoice, with the cost-effectiveness andconvenience of buying tickets in advance viawww.crosscountrytrains.co.uk for any railjourney in Britain.The media choices and messaging weretailored to have the greatest impact amongthe target audience segments. Television wasincluded in the media mix for the first time, asit is the most persuasive and impactful mediumand the most likely to generate awarenessquickly.The campaign delivered its promises inevery measurable dimension. Switch really didpersuade consumers to switch their attitudesand behaviours in line with CrossCountry’scampaign objectives.FTPELondon MidlandNorthern RailPage seventeen

Rail Professional Marketing Campaign of the yearEast Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains created Red Dot Days asan incentive to get the public travelling by trainand experiencing new stations throughout thesummer of 2009.This was a campaign set against thebackdrop of a recession and fragile consumerconfidence. The initiative offered travellersjourneys from a specific station for £10anywhere on that day, on most trains, simply forproviding their contact details on a voucher.Over the summer, five different Red Dot Dayssaw 6,213 people travel, 64 per cent for the firsttime and with 2,479 new users added to thedatabase, with footfall and awareness of twonew stations also increasing tremendously.First TransPennine ExpressThe recession has been bad news for every Toc– for First TransPennine Express (FTPE), whichrelies on leisure travellers for more than 60 percent of its passenger journeys, it is particularlyworrying.The company decided that it needed to speakpersuasively to lots of different people, all withdifferent reasons to travel. In other words, itwould develop a campaign to target everyonevirtually all the time. The company’s resultantcommunication matrix activity helped FTPEHSBC Ad.final:Layout 1 20/1/10 12:58 Page 1generate repeat leisure trips, win business fromprivate cars and domestic flights, and continueto grow journeys and income in a decliningmarket.London MidlandThe completion of the West Coast Main Line(WCML) upgrade in December 2008 markedthe reintroduction of regular trains from theTrent Valley stations of Rugeley, Lichfield,Tamworth, Atherstone and Nuneaton.However, with high-cost, high-profilemarketing campaigns – and media interest –focusing on improvements to longer distancetrains, generating local awareness was achallenge. By taking time to understand themarket and devising a highly targeted, localisedcampaign, both on and offline, London Midlandnot only exceeded its revenue, passenger andROI targets, but also increased its customeradvocacy scores, creating a new blueprint forfuture campaign activity.Northern RailNorthern’s marketing campaign for its Duoticket – buy one get one half price – is anexample of how a focused approach with alimited budget can deliver an excellent ROI andsustainable growth in sales.The campaign has also helped to raiseawareness of the Northern brand. Morespecifically, Northern’s focus on the promotionalDuo rail ticket has delivered some superbbenefits – average incremental monthlyearnings for Duo now stands at more than£100,000 per period (Period 4-6). There hasbeen a 2:1 ROI and a 48 per cent awareness ofthe Duo product amongst Northern rail users.EurostarCross-channel operator Eurostar began theyear with both leisure and business salesin decline, due to the impact of the ChannelTunnel fire and the recession.Research showed that many people werelooking for a quick fix – an escape from therecession – and that this was something thatEurostar could offer. The resulting campaign,Little Break, Big Difference delivered anintegrated approach across off and onlinemedia, using traditional and more innovativeapproaches, and focusing ruthlessly on ROI.The campaign has made a huge impact on thesales of Eurostar in 2009, but most importantly,Little Break, Big Difference put Eurostar back onthe map for consumers in a year when it easilycould have been dismissed as an unnecessaryluxury.One journey.Many steps.More than 20% growth in passengers •Highest ever Public Performance Measure of 94.8% •Highest ever Customer Satisfaction measure of 90% •UK Public Transport Operator o f the Year - 2009 •National Transport Awardswww.scotrail.co.ukPage eighteen

Information Technology of the yearFTPE – Incident DisruptionArriva UK TrainsNorthern RailSouthernFirst Great Western – Volo TVFirst Great Western – WebCIS ConceptEast CoastNomad DigitalBombardier Transportationwww.tpexpress.co.ukBombardier TransportationOrbita is Bombardier Transportation’sgroundbreaking service capability: a setof people, processes and tools that helpidentify train service issues before theyoccur and pinpoint problems accuratelywhen they have occurred.Orbita combines data gathered from thetrains with Bombardier Transportation’sglobal fleet knowledge and engineeringexpertise to enable active, holisticmanagement of vehicle and infrastructuremaintenance, performance andoperation.Using advanced tools and processes,Orbita provides advice and informationthat presents customers with the means toachieve new levels of operational efficiency,service availability and train reliability.CrossCountryCrossCountry felt it needed to develop itswebsite to suit the requirements of the21st- century customer, so it developed Xcelin order to give users a range of optionswhen planning their journey and buyingtickets.The Xcel project has enabledCrossCountry to become the first British railoperator to successfully introduce e-ticketsacross the whole network, including ane-ticket trial, an innovative seat planner anda whole host of technological and onlinefeatures.The launch has proved successful with 10per cent of CrossCountry’s online customersclicking through to the seat planner.Customer numbers are also growing andXcel is looking to be a vital element ofCrossCountry’s future commercial plans.SouthernEach weekday, Selhurst Depot typicallydeals with around 120 trains, comprising200 multiple units, distributed over a 38-acre site. Like most depots, Selhurst hadcobbled together a ‘make do’ means ofmanaging the berthing location and statusof each unit and its subsequent allocationto the next service.For Selhurst, this relied on faxes, phonecalls, pencils, paper and rubbers. This errorpronesystem caused tension, unnecessarysafety risks, inefficiencies and delays, not tomention a lot of unnecessary long walks.Southern now enjoys the sector’smost technologically advanced means oforganising the rolling stock within its depot,and 10 other rail operators across the UKand Europe are queuing up to reproduce thisimportant innovation in train maintenance.Page nineteen

Information Technology of the yearFirst Great Western – Volo TVWest of England operator First GreatWestern realised that it could do more toimprove the passenger experience on itsNight Riviera Sleeper service. Following acomplete refresh of the fleet, it introducedthe first on-demand entertainment systemfor customers travelling on a sleeper trainin the UK.Over the last 18 months, the companyhas introduced flat-screen televisions, witha choice of programmes, into berths onall of its sleeper trains to keep customersentertained throughout the long journeybetween London Paddington and Penzance.First Great Western – WebCISConceptFirst Great Western felt it was not doingenough to keep customers up-to-date at itssmaller stations. Over the last year it hasintroduced WebCIS (Customer InformationSystems) at some of these stations toprovide real-time journey information to itscustomers.The systems, which also have a helppoint button, have been tested at selectstations with a view to rolling the schemeout throughout its network. First GreatWestern believes improving communicationsin this way will encourage more people totravel by train in areas where they would notnecessarily have done so before.Nomad DigitalNomad Digital has produced systems thatgive train operators the ability to transferdata to and from rail vehicles. Servicesinclude:• Use of the latest technology to ensurethat passengers’ experience is as good asor better than in their homes, includingbroadband speed or faster;• Downloading uninterrupted by delayscaused by network blind spots;• Local information on train services,real-time journey updates and at-seatentertainment content;• Regular downloading of data from thetrain for engineers; and• Seamless data transfer when movingbetween locations and inside stations.East CoastThe first UK train operating company tointroduce Rail Price Manager (RPM), theprice-sensitive revenue managementsystem was East Coast. The systemgives the company unprecedentedlevels of insight, flexibility and controlover its revenue management decisionsPage twentyCrossCountryand planning. RPM allows East Coastto understand the travel patterns ofcustomers better and fine-tune ticketpricing accordingly to ensure revenues aremaximised.Launched in September 2009, earlytrials using RPM have demonstrated an 18per cent improvement in demand forecastaccuracy levels, which indicates the systemis on track to deliver the long-term revenueimprovement target of two per cent.Arriva UK TrainsThe Road Transport Information andResource system uses a simple, clean, easyto-useinterface in order to share importantday-to-day road transport operating data toboth Arriva Tocs in a consistent and reliablemanner.The system also gives control centrestaff a dependable suite of tools to recruitroad transport operators in short noticesituations that require emergency transport.This includes making use of innovativeGoogle map plotting and text-to-speech autocall technology. An easy and quick-to-usebooking window allows all requests to belogged and reconciliations and managementreporting to be undertaking centrally by theRoad Transport Section in Cardiff.First TransPennine Express –www.tpexpress.co.ukAs First TransPennine Express entered2008, it was very clear that its three-yearoldwebsite was failing to deliver what thebusiness required. The website was notyielding the level of sales the company waslooking for – it was an indifferent crosssellingsite that could not keep up withbusiness aspirations and it was time for achange.A brief was developed, researchconducted and this pointed the companyin a direction not typically taken by traincompanies, a direction that emphasisedcustomer involvement rather then corporatebrand promotion. As far as FTPE wasconcerned, the customer was king, the brandwas the product and the overall experiencewas key.First TransPennine Express –Incident Disruption LogWorking closely with colleagues atFirstGroup IT, First TransPennine Expressidentified that a computer software programcould act as a possible solution to theproblems caused by disruptions online.In collaboration with its front line teams,FTPE developed and delivered an innovativetraining package showing the worth of thesystem. The solution, Incident DisruptionLog, helps the company to deliver greatservice every day.Northern RailNorthern’s delivery of FIDO (FasTISInformation Delivery Online), an industryfirst technical enhancement project, isa great example of how a partnershipapproach achieved an innovative solutionusing technology to work smarter.Now frontline employees are betterinformed, which means a better service forall customers on Northern’s network.

Department for Transport Station Excellence of the yearSettleKingstonWoolwichWorthingLaurencekirkWoolwich – DLROn 10 January 2009, the £180m DLR Woolwich-Arsenal extension opened, seven weeks aheadof schedule and on budget.Described by London Mayor Boris Johnsonas ‘exactly the sort of project that will help kickthe credit crunch where it hurts’, the extensionconnects the DLR network north of the Thamesto a new station in south-east London.The station is DLR’s 40th, and is a vital crossriverlink that offers significant benefits to oneof the most deprived areas in the UK. DLR alsohas a tradition of regenerating the areas itserves and this is set to continue at Woolwich.Mitcham Eastfields – Southern andThe London Borough of MertonWithout rail links for more than 70 years,the areas of Mitcham and Eastfields arenow benefiting from a revolutionary new railstation.Mitcham Eastfields station is the UK’s firstsustainable station and the first modulardesignstation. Its innovative design has set abenchmark for future station builds and ensuredthe continued advancement and improvementof the UK rail system. Thanks to this cleverdesign, attractive interior, accessibility andstrategic position passenger numbers to datehave far exceeded all expectations. Sinceopening last year, more than 125,000 journeyshave been made to and from the station.Worthing – SouthernIn May 2009, Southern and its partnersunveiled the new-look Worthing station.At first glance, passengers could see thatthe station was considerably sleeker, moremodern and more comfortable than before,but this refit was far more ambitious than justa simple refurbishment; the project aimedto create one of the country’s mostaccessible stations, a showcase for thelatest in passenger accessibility and DDAcompliance.A £265,000 investment has improvedthe experience for all Worthing station’scustomers, particularly those withdisabilities, and almost doubled the station’sNPS score for facilities and service. Theimprovements are also set to bring morepeople to rail both through improved facilitiesand improved access.Wood Lane – London UndergroundThe brand new station at Wood Lane is the firstto be built on an existing and unextended lineon the London Underground for more than 70years.Located on the Hammersmith & City Line,the station’s modern design complements therecently opened Westfield London retail andleisure development and provides convenientaccess to the Tube network for local businessesand residents alike.Laurencekirk – ScotrailScottish rail operator ScotRail is puttingstations at the heart of communities.Laurencekirk station re-opened in May, after42 years of closure. By the end of September,just four and a half months later, passengerjourneys were 24,191 against an annualforecast of 36,000.By encouraging volunteers to ‘adopt astation’, ScotRail has engendered a feelingof civic pride among its many customers.The Adopt a Station scheme also encouragescommunity groups and start-up businessesto make use of surplus accommodation andcreate innovative new facilities, which providesbenefits to the train operator, communities andstation environments.Settle and Garsdale –Northern RailThe spectacular and successful renovation ofSettle and Garsdale stations demonstrates ahighly impressive blend of modern customerservice in historic, listed buildings.The delivery of these projects requiredhuge attention to detail that took into accountcustomer service, disabled provision, listedbuilding status and challenging environmentalconditions. Most of all, the renovation projectsrequired true partnership, involving severalorganisations to raise the funds required torestore these stations to a fantastic standard.Page twenty-one

Department for Transport Station Excellence of the yearShepherd’s BushWood LaneOrmskirkNaTwyford ExeterThree Bridges Manchester AirportShepherd’s Bush – LondonUndergroundShepherd’s Bush station on LondonUnderground’s Central Line has been radicallyrebuilt and modernised in order to meet therequirements of the recently opened WestfieldLondon retail and leisure development.The station acts as the primary point ofaccess and egress to the centre for publictransport users.National Express East AngliaNational Express East Anglia (NEEA) hastaken a proactive approach to improvingthe presentation and appearance of itsstations by involving stakeholders, such aslocal authorities, working closely with localcommunities and expanding its Adopt-a-Station programme.As a result, many of its stations are cleaner,brighter, smarter, better maintained and havebecome impressive gateways to the locationsthey serve.Manchester Airport – FirstTransPennine ExpressManchester Airport station is the world’sgateway to the north of England. With millionsof air travellers making onward journeys,it’s vital the station team provide goodinformation, courteous service and a pleasantenvironment for everyone who passes through.Page twenty-twoThe enthusiastic team at this station excelson all counts, with a dedication to service thatgives the station a well-deserved reputationfor being among the best in the country.Passengers enjoy timely information andassistance, outstanding train punctuality, a safeand secure environment and easy interchangebetween airport and station.Exeter Central – J Murphy & SonsUnder the government’s Access for Allprogramme, J Murphy & Sons was engagedby Network Rail, through the DDA Frameworkcontract, as principal contractor for the ExeterCentral Station scheme.It was a challenging project within a livestation environment, which involved therefurbishment of an existing lift shaft and theconstruction of a new free-standing steelframed,brick-clad, lift shaft through an existingplatform canopy, including associated piledfoundations.The new lift shaft was clad in a handmadered brick to match the surrounding brickworkand a bespoke GRP facia and detailed lead finialwere installed on the lift shaft roof to accuratelyreflect the architecture of the existing stationbuilding.Murphys liaised closely with the designer,Jacobs, and lift installation contractor, Stannah,to ensure an integrated approach to projectdelivery.Kingston Station – OsborneThe project, part of the government’s Access forAll programme, involved the provision of newlifts and shafts to significantly improve accessto rail services to and from Kingston. The worksincluded the construction of new lift shafts toaccess the station platforms, complementingan existing long ramp and stairs, which waspreviously accessed via an inadequate stair lift.This already very busy railway station wasconstrained by densely populated residentialareas and a busy three-lane highway. Thenew facilities are already providing longtermbenefits to the local community andbusinesses. The success of this project wasachieved through close collaboration betweenthe Network Rail A4A project managementteam, Osborne construction team and stationstaff to efficiently deliver an extremely highquality product, on time and within budget.Lewisham Station – OsborneThe project involved the provision of new liftsand shafts to completely refurbish subways,as part of the government’s Access for Allprogramme. This has significantly improvedaccess to rail services to and from Lewishamand the DLR link.The works included the construction of newlifts and shafts to access the station platformsat high level, two of which are now step-free forthe first time. The site logistics were challenging

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewtional Express East AngliaShipleyMitcham Eastfieldsand construction was technically innovativeand complex. Shafts were hand dug to a depthin excess of eight metres using traditionalmining techniques. The new Lewisham stationfacilities will provide long-term benefits tothe local community and businesses. Thesuccess of this project was achieved throughclose collaboration between Network Rail’sA4A project management team, Osborne’sconstruction team, station staff and localcommunity representatives to efficiently deliveran extremely high quality product, on time andwithin budget.Shipley – Morgan EstThe Shipley Station upgrade works were partof the government’s Access for All programmeand consisted of the construction of a newpassenger footbridge, with lifts, and lifts toan existing footbridge. The works by MorganEst required the design and implementationof extensive civil engineering works in a livestation environment.Network Rail established a collaborativeapproach from the outset, which resulted inthe safe delivery of a high-quality product,uninterrupted rail services and met the needs ofall. A detailed design delivered by the NetworkRail A4A team, coupled with the Morgan Est’sexpertise in temporary works design andimplementation, ensured a safer method thatsignificantly reduced the construction risks.Three Bridges – J Murphy & SonsJ Murphy & Sons was engaged by NetworkRail as principal contractor for Three BridgesStation delivery project, as part of thegovernment’s Access for All programme.This scheme was a challenging undertakingin a 24-hour operational station, which requiredthe construction of three new reinforcedconcrete lifts and shafts into a fully operationaland extremely busy subway which serves allplatforms. J Murphy & Sons worked very closelywith Network Rail at all times to ensure coordinationand management of design activitiesand stakeholder relations were developedand undertaken with real success. The rolewas fulfilled to the highest of standards, withcomplete customer satisfaction and an excellentquality product, well delivered by all in verydifficult circumstances.Twyford Station – OsborneThe Access for All scheme at Twyford stationwas an exciting project that presenteda variety of challenges along the way. Itconsisted of installing three lifts and a newDDA-compliant footbridge in an area whereconservation is high on the agenda.It required working in partnership witha number of parties, including specialinterest groups, to ensure it successfullydelivered to their aspirations and needs. Ithas significantly improved and enhancedthe environment of the station – and theconstruction works were designed byNetwork Rail to link the original 1860s stationwith that of the modern day. The new facilitiesprovide both improved travel and workopportunities, as well as better access to thelocal community. In summary, an excellentproject, well managed and delivered inpartnership with Network Rail’s A4A projectmanagement team and Osborne.Omskirk – MerseyrailThe £1.8m refurbishment programme atOrmskirk combined the careful restoration ofthis historic Grade II listed railway station withthe modernisation of passenger facilities. Theproject included:• Full external refurbishment of the stationbuilding, as close as possible to its originalappearance;• Refurbishment of the platform canopy;• Provision of a new canopy to the frontentrance to the booking hall;• Provision of a combined booking hall andwaiting room;• Public toilets using water captured from anew rainwater harvesting system, including onetoilet fully accessible to people with disabilities;• Comfortable seating, clear signage andmodern passenger information systems; and• Enhancement of the CCTV coverage at thestation.Page twenty-three

Atoc Integrated Transport Excellence of the yearScotRailSt Andrews is only accessible to the railnetwork via a bus interchange at Leuchars.ScotRail has improved integration betweenthe trains at Leuchars and buses to StAndrews by:• Installing rail ticket retailing facilities at StAndrews bus station;• Providing a rail information monitor in thebus station showing real-time departuresfrom Leuchars;• Including St Andrews as a location intimetables and online planners; and• Working with the local authority to promotethe facilities.The end result is improved awarenessand access to the rail network for the localcommunity and visitors.Lafarge Cement UKThe UK’s largest cement maker, Lafarge, iscommitted to increasing the sustainability ofits operations, at the same time as providinghigh quality products.With the closure of its Kent works, andplans for another Kent plant still beingprogressed, Lafarge needed to ensure itcontinued to serve south-east England andother markets. Hope works in Derbyshire waswell placed to fulfil this demand and alreadyon the rail network. With great foresightand commitment, Lafarge invested £20min Hope’s rail infrastructure, enabling moreproduct to be moved by rail, and taking up to6,800 loads off the roads annually.Arriva UK TrainsEngineering work is unpleasant forpassengers and often places Toc staff in anuncomfortable position.The Road Transport Section has deliveredreplacement road transport operationswhich are fully integrated with each Toc’srail operations by way of improvements tocustomer service information and operationalinformation for Toc staff. Robust and highquality operations are now delivered, whichhave not only achieved considerable costsavings but also a dramatic reduction in thenumber of passenger complaints.Kent Highway Services, Ashford’sFuture, Stagecoach and SustransAshford is the fastest growing town betweenLondon and the Continent. As one of fourdesignated growth areas in the south east,Ashford is pursuing an ambitious £2.5bndevelopment strategy.High-speed services have brought Ashfordwithin just 37 minutes of London and undertwo hours from Paris. Ashford’s claim of ‘Bestplace in Britain’ is, therefore, well justified.All this equates to a projected 1.1 millionadditional passengers a year by 2013-14.TheAshford Station Travel Plan brings together arange of partners to help secure sustainablegrowth through physical interchangeimprovements, place-making, informationand marketing.National Express East Anglia,Essex County Council andColchester Borough CouncilNEEA’s proactive approach has seen thedevelopment of schemes at a number ofstations across its network. In particular,AshfordSouth West TrainsWest Yorkshire South West Trains LafargePage twenty-four

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewthe Colchester scheme is a superb exampleof best practice that has seen closepartnerships working between NEEA, EssexCounty Council and Colchester BoroughCouncil.After identifying the key issues thatinfluence travel choices, a station travel planwas launched with a promotional event androadshow to highlight sustainable traveloptions to customers. The programme ofactions that covers bus, cycle, taxi, carsharing, walking and regular car users, offersa comprehensive package that is alreadychanging behaviours and optimising rail’s roleas a sustainable, integrated transport option.West Yorkshire IntegratedTransport Authority (Metro)Metro, in partnership with The City ofBradford Metropolitan District Council, hasintroduced the Bradford FreeCityBus.The city is served by two rail stations whichwere poorly linked and required the crossingof several major roads. It was also recognisedthat the hilly topography of Bradford citycentre resulted in many of its services andfacilities not being easily accessible by theexisting bus route network.The service operates every 10 minutesbetween 07:00 and 19:00 Monday to Fridayand from 08:00 to 17:30 on Saturdays,linking the city’s retail, business, education,entertainment and transport hubs.South West Trains, National RailEnquiries, Red Funnel Ferries andBritish Airports AuthoritySouth West Trains has worked with severalpartners to facilitate real-time rail departurescreens at off-station locations, linked oradjacent to a station. This inexpensive, easyto-installupdated rail information opens uprail access to areas, populations and centresthat have a real alternative to the car but arenot aware of it.This integrated transport informationapproach by ferry, bus, air and rail operatorswill develop public confidence in transportin new areas and markets not previouslyconsidered. This project delivers a stepchange to the passenger experience andenvironmental benefits whilst enhancingbusiness.Southern and Surrey CountyCouncilThe Horley station interchange projectrepresents one of the most successfulprojects to integrate transport that Southernhas ever been involved with. In 2008, SurreyCounty Council and Southern Railway joinedforces with one overriding aim: to set abenchmark for transport integration.The result was a brand new interchangethat allows buses, cyclists, cars andpedestrians to access the station andseamlessly interchange.The results have been impressive:• A modal shift for Horley, with a move fromcar to rail travel;• Approximately three per cent (expected toreach five per cent) increase in Horley seasonticket holders;• A reduction in crime; and• Improved passenger satisfaction.Southern and SurreyScotRailNational Express East AngliaPage twenty-five

Rolling Stock Excellence of the yearfirst TransPennine expresscrosscountrycrOSScOUnTrYcrosscountry’s first fully refurbished highspeedtrain entered service on monday29 September 2009 on the high profilecrosscountry route between Glasgow andPlymouth.The five 125mph diesel-powered trainswere professionally restored, refurbished andrefreshed by Doncaster-based firm Wabtec –making CrossCountry’s HSTs among the mostpopular and talked-about refurbishments withinthe rail industry this decade.CrossCountry and Wabtec wanted to set abenchmark with the needs of the customer atthe forefront of their minds. The result was thetotal re-design of the first class and standardcarriages and the removal of the buffet carriageto allow for airline-style service at seat.Completing the ambitious overhaul involvednew seating, tables, carpets, curtains, enhancedlighting and an HST first – electronic seatreservations. Each CrossCountry HST nowhas 542 seats. CrossCountry and Wabtec areimmensely proud of their investment and theresult.fIrST TranSPennIne eXPreSSa joint desire to build a strong workingpartnership between train operator andmaintainer has paid dividends for passengersacross the north of england.With the Class 185 train fleet, FirstTransPennine Express and Siemens have workedtogether to achieve top notch reliability, all-timehigh train performance scores and passengersatisfaction ratings way above average.Since the fleet’s introduction in 2006, thepartnership has helped the environment throughfuel saving initiatives, opened up new marketswith more services to more destinations,provided intelligent train design and slashedtrain delays and cancellations.hITachI raIL eUrOPehitachi rail europe delivered trains for the firsthigh-speed domestic service in the Uk. anearly delivery enabled Southeastern to offer apreview service, allowing passengers a chanceto experience the high speed connection sixmonths prior to the official launch date.Hitachi ensured that the on-board facilitieswere chosen for their comfort, safety andsecurity. The company understood thecommercial and customer relationship problemsthat project delays cause and made sure earlydelivery and reliability offered a dependable,accessible high speed service to passengers.High speed Class 395s give passengersback rare commodity time, making Kent a newaddition to London’s commuter belt, with a 99.1per cent punctuality figure achieved.Page twenty-six

VTG Rail Freight Excellence of the yearDB SchenkerInternational freight operator DB Schenkerdelivered a complete rail-based logisticssolution for companies involved in theconstruction of the London 2012 OlympicGames. The project involved:• A million tonnes of freight in one year ofoperation;• £4m investment in a rail freight terminal;• Building a terminal to adapt to changingconstruction use – initial aggregate needs willchange to container and pallet delivery;• Taking a key role in making the constructionphase of the Olympic Games the mostsustainable ever; and• Avoiding the need for nearly 500,000 lorrymovements in first year of activity.Lafarge Cement UKLafarge, the UK’s largest cement maker, iscommitted to increasing the sustainability ofits operations, at the same time as providinghigh-quality products.With the closure of its Kent works, and plansfor another Kent plant still being progressed,Lafarge needed to ensure it continues to servesouth-east England and other markets. Hopeworks in Derbyshire was well placed to fulfilthis demand and already on the rail network.With great foresight and commitment, Lafargeinvested £20m in Hope’s rail infrastructure,enabling more product to be moved by rail, andtaking up to 6,800 loads off the roads.Associated British PortsAB Ports has gained new business wins,primarily due to service improvements andsustained performance in 2009 year. To date,three new train services have begun operatingoperating from ABP Hams Hall.Achievements include:• Efficiency gains, with productivity increasedby 40 per cent and machine productivityincreased by 50 per cent;• Late arriving trains turned around to go backout on schedule with 100 box intermodal trainsstripped and reloaded in up to 90 minutes; and• Data utilised from terminal managementsystem to establish KPI and drive efficiencyimprovements to ensure resources correctlymatched to business needs.First gbrfAt a time when Royal Mail appeared tobe putting its efforts into developing itsdistribution via road and air, First GBRf spottedan opportunity and persuaded Royal Mail thatmail on rail could be competitive, flexible andreliable compared to other modes of transport.Now in 2009, with the most reliable freighthaulier in the country having gone fromstrength to strength and winning the first everGoing the Extra Mile award from Royal Mail,First GBRf has increased the number of trainsrun to record levels.It is now carrying more mail than ever beforeand running at a reliability rate of more than 98per cent. It is because of this success that mailis back permanently on rail.www.railimages.co.ukAB PortsFirst GBRfLafargeDB SchenkerPage twenty-seven

Safety & Security Excellence of the yearLondon UndergroundThe control period 2008-09 was LondonUnderground’s best ever year in terms ofoperational performance.LU delivered more train services than everbefore, achieved its highest ever customersatisfaction scores and also carried morepassengers than ever before. With nearly1.1 billion passenger journeys made duringthe year, or 3.5-4 million journeys on thebusiest weekdays, this is almost as many asthe entire National Rail network.East CoastBritish Transport PoliceStagecoach MetrolinkThe Stagecoach Metrolink initiative ischallenging travellers’ perception of personalsecurity, crime and anti-social behaviouron public transport. The greater visibility ofhighly trained travel-safe officers and theinvestment in secure stations/stops is creatinga safe and secure environment, which mayultimately make the difference in people’stravel decisions.Stagecoach Metrolink is the first light railcompany in the UK to have accredited staffand the first private company to be accreditedby Greater Manchester Police. The operator,which comes under the Community SafetyAccreditiation Scheme, has become the firsttram system in the UK to have stops awardedSecure Station status by the Department forTransport.Page twenty-eightFirstGroupTube LinesEast CoastIn December 2008, East Coast introducedrailway enforcement officers (REO) as partof the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme(RSAS) to make the railways a safer place.Working in partnership with the BritishTransport Police (BTP), 14 East Coastemployees have been accredited with limitedpolice powers in order to reduce crime andimprove safety and security on trains and atstations, benefiting staff and the travellingpublic.Since the REO team commenced patrollingthe ECML route, they have carried out morethan 3,200 high visibility train and stationpatrols, removed 1,700 offenders from stationsand trains, made 20 arrests, aided the recoveryof more than £66,000 worth of ticket revenueand saved the lives of two people.FirstGroupTransport multinational FirstGroup regardsinjury prevention as one of its core values.Injury prevention is a process which isabout changing attitudes and behaviours,eradicating injuries, and is integratedinto the safety strategy. First’s InjuryPrevention Database was created andintroduced in 2008 as a tool that wouldallow the company to electronically recordand track actions from injury preventionconversations.The searchable database has informationthat can highlight safety issues, concernsand training needs, giving the companyimmediate insight and help promote safetycommunication.SouthernSouth coast operator Southern recognisedthat crime and anti-social behaviour atstations discouraged passengers from railtravel and was bad for passengers, businessand the sustainable transport agenda.Southern decided to tackle this issuehead-on with a pioneering CCTV integrationproject that connected 112 stations to onecentral control centre and further integratedSouthern’s passenger security operations withthose of British Transport Police. In January2009, the success of the project was finallymeasured by comparing 12-month’s crime dataeither side of the implementation. The resultswere dramatic to say the least, showing a 45.1per cent reduction in robbery offences.Tube LinesThe Road to Zero campaign was a year-longproject about galvanising efforts across allthe Tube Lines project teams behind a singleunified goal: achieving a full year’s workwithout a single Lost Time to Injury (LTI).Many would consider such an objective tobe unattainable and highly unrealistic, yet on 6August 2009 this milestone was achieved. TubeLines believes this is unheard of in the rail andconstruction industries. The numbers behindthis achievement are truly staggering – around

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Preview3,500 men and women from the organisationand supply chains are involved and a total ofmore than 5.8 million hours were worked safelyevery day and night without losing a single shiftdue to injury.British Transport Police LondonNorthBritish Transport Police (BTP) is divided intoseven areas nationally. London North deliverspolicing for all railways in London north of theThames, as well as Essex, East Anglia and thenorthern Home Counties.A total of 450 officers, 100 PCSOs and100 police staff work with 15 train operators,Network Rail, Transport for London and otheremergency services to make the railways safefor both passengers and rail staff. In 2008-9,London North achieved all 25 of its operationaltargets – the only BTP area to do so. The areaalso made around £500,000 worth of efficiencysavings as part of its Frontline First programme.In the last two years the area team havereduced overall crime by 14 per cent.National Express East Anglia andBritish Transport Police (LondonNorth Area)The National Express East Anglia BritishTransport Police team was set up in May 2008to reduce anti-social behaviour through theintroduction of a new joint patrol on the stretchof line from Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea andWalton-on-the-Naze.Customers, partners, employees andstakeholders were all keen to address issueswith low-level bad behaviour that wereadversely affecting perceptions of rail travelin general and personal safety in particular. Ajoint patrol team was set up to address the realand perceived issues on the line. Both partnersbelieve that the way the team operates isunique when compared with other partnershipschemes, because all members of the teamwork together full-time as a single unit.First TransPennine ExpressRapid growth in passenger numbers on thebusiest section of its network, coupled witha desire to cut crime and raise standards, ledFirst TransPennine Express to boost its linkswith British Transport Police.By forming a Neighbourhood Police teamto cover Dewsbury and Huddersfield stations,and trains in between, FTPE and the police havecut crime and anti-social behaviour. Vandalism,theft, staff assaults, graffiti, trespass andbegging have all been greatly reduced. Bothstations are now noticeably more customerfriendly,reassuring and safer. On-train theft hasalso been targeted with excellent results.London UndergroundNEEAStagecoachSouthernFirst TransPennine ExpressPage twenty-nine

Environmental Innovation of the yearTranslinkAs with all UK railway operators, NorthernIreland Railways operates its business usingmany diverse and energy-intensive properties.With increased services and enhancedlighting at a number of halts, Northern IrelandRailways has witnessed increasing energyconsumption over recent years. Recently anenergy management campaign has beenrolled out across Northern Ireland Railways.Despite the backdrop of pressures to increaseconsumption, the energy managementcampaign has contributed to a net energyreduction of seven per cent in 2008-09.ScotRailAn innovative solution was required to avoiduse of platform lighting during spring andautumn clock changes, at service qualityaudits and when contractors needed to workduring the hours of darkness at a station.Although each issue could have beenindividually addressed, the lighting controlpanel designed by ScotRail provided asolution to all three where no commerciallyavailable product fitted the requirementsspecific to the rail industry. The panel utilisedcommercially available components but thedesign is specifically aimed at a railway stationapplication. It will save 300MWh per year andhas a long operational life expectancy.lafargeLafarge, the UK’s largest cement maker, iscommitted to increasing the sustainability ofits operations, at the same time as providinghigh-quality products.With the closure of its Kent works, and plansfor another Kent plant still being progressed,Lafarge needed to ensure it continues to servesouth-east England and other markets. Hopeworks in Derbyshire was well placed to fulfilthis demand and already on the rail network.With great foresight and commitment, Lafargeinvested £20m in Hope’s rail infrastructure,enabling more product to be moved by rail, andtaking up to 6,800 loads off the roads.First Capital ConnectFrom the beginning of the First Capital Connectfranchise in April 2006, it has displayed arobust commitment to reducing the impact itsbusiness has on the environment.Through a series of innovative projects,both big and small, First Capital Connect hasworked hard to make that dream a reality,reducing utility usage and wastage and drivingup recycling and environmental projects.This commitment has carried on growing anddeveloping and, as a result, there are manyenvironmental success stories to tell. But that’snot the end of the story – First Capital Connectcontinues to explore opportunities to reduce itsenvironmental impact at every stage.Associated British PortsAB Port’s Hams Hall team undertook a projectto reduce reach-stacker fuel usage thatresulted in consumption going down from 2.25litres to 1.5 litres per lift.Based on its activity levels, ABP Hams Hallwas able to calculate that the 0.75 litre perlift reduction achieved equated to annualreduction in fuel consumption of 163,000litres, providing a saving over 436,000 kg inCO2 emissions (based on 2.68 kg CO2/litre).Financial savings of approximately £84,000(using average fuel price for period of £0.517 /litre) were achieved.First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express has created a trulyinnovative scheme, Driving Fuel Efficiency, thatcombines advanced train technology and ITwww.railimages.co.ukEurotunnelFirst Capital ConnectAssociated British PortsHalcrow and Unipart RailPage thirty

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 Previewexcellence with old fashioned best practice.The scheme saves fuel and money, reducesemissions and encourages competition amongdrivers to deliver environmental and financialbenefits. The EcoDrive database allows the fuelperformance of every driver, Class 185 train androute to be assessed with rewards for highperformers.A whopping 96 per cent of FTPE’senergy usage is burning fuel, and in just sixmonths the scheme has helped save nearly halfa million litres of gas oil, worth over £200,000,and has kept 1.3 million tonnes of carbondioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere.EurostarIn 2006, Eurostar commissioned researchwhich revealed its journeys between London,Paris and Brussels emit a tenth of the carbondioxide of flying. Although Eurostar waspleased with the news, the company knewthat there was still plenty more that it coulddo.Eurostar’s first step was to launch TreadLightly in April 2007. It made a commitment tocut its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per centper traveller journey by 2012, which it has sinceraised to 35 per cent, having reached its initialtarget by the end of 2008. Since 14 November2007, all Eurostar journeys have been certifiedas carbon neutral, at no extra cost to itstravellers.EurotunnelCommitment to the environment is one ofEurotunnel’s greatest assets and a core groupvalue. Its fleet of 24 shuttles are alreadypowered by electricity generated from lowcarbon sources, so changing its dieselpowered works trains for more carbon efficientones made complete sense.However, the nature of the tunnel and itsspecific safety regulations made the transitionchallenging. To overcome this, Eurotunnel cameup with an innovative ‘hybrid’ diesel/electrictrain that is not only more environmentallysensitive, reducing carbon emissions by620 carbon equivalent tonnes per year, butalso reduces costs, increases flexibility andimproves efficiency.Northern RailNorthern has become the first Toc to developa tool for measuring its carbon footprint. Thisincludes direct emissions from train operation,plus indirect emissions associated with itssuppliers.The results demonstrate that less than halfof Northern’s carbon footprint is generated bytrain operation, and have provided a rich arrayof data showing the areas of the businessproducing the most emissions. This informationwill enable Northern to focus on new CO2reduction initiatives, and assist in settingtargets and measuring progress. The RSSB islooking at developing an industry-wide pilotproject based on Northern’s carbon footprintinginitiative.Halcrow Group and Unipart RailHalcrow’s traction and rolling stock and railmanagement information teams have jointlydeveloped the Schedule Advisory System.Halcrow has developed the concept, softwareand operating design for the system, licensingUnipart Rail to manufacture and market it.The system offers operators the benefits ofreduced energy consumption and cost, savingsin carbon emissions, increased punctualityand more consistent driving standards.Train performance simulations, validated byon-train trials, indicate that a conservativeaverage saving of 12 per cent in energy usageand carbon emissions can be achieved byimplementing the systems.ScotrailEurostarTranslinkFirst TransPennine ExpressLafargeNorthern RailPage thirty-one

Engineering Excellence of the yearC2CFirst TransPennine ExpressStagecoach Weather Intelligence and Serco Docklands BombardierBombardier TransportationOrbita is Bombardier Transportation’sgroundbreaking service capability – a set ofpeople, processes and tools that help identifytrain service issues before they occur andpinpoint problems accurately when they haveoccurred.Orbita combines data gathered from thetrains with Bombardier Transportation’s globalfleet knowledge and engineering expertiseto enable active, holistic management ofvehicle and infrastructure maintenance,performance and operation. Using advancedtools and processes, Orbita provides adviceand information that presents customers withthe means to achieve new levels of operationalefficiency, service availability and trainreliability.Stagecoach SupertramMaintenanceAt Stagecoach Supertram Maintenance,achieving ‘engineering excellence’ is thegolden thread linking objectives of customersatisfaction through safety, comfort andvalue for money, with the business goalsof increased patronage and optimalmaintenance to lower life-cycle costs.A framework project that demonstrates‘engineering excellence’ is the segmentationPage thirty-twoof track assets, according to duty conditions,and has provided synergistic benefits frominnovative maintenance developments, suchas weld restoration, and the management ofcorrugation through accurate measurementand preventative grinding, using aprogrammable small grinder. This approachhas given greater visibility of asset condition,increased residual life and better prediction offuture investments.Weather Intelligence and SercoDocklandsAnecdotally, certain signal failures on theDocklands Light Railway were linked toinclement weather conditions. With thisin mind, Weather Intelligence and SercoDocklands created a project that identifiedthe correlations between weather and signalfailures and then reduced these failures,through developing an innovative process.Using weather observations and forecastsfed into the control room, the process reducedthe occurrence of signal failures in dampweather conditions. The process optimisedthe time the restrictions were in place and theprocess was then trialled in the control room.Direct savings of more than £300,000 in thefour month trial were demonstrated, plusfurther indirect cost savings.C2CC2C’s East Ham fleet maintenance depotdelivers day in and day out the highestpossible standards of safety, reliability andcleanliness to the trains in its care.Industry-leading innovation in planningenables C2C to continue to improve on itstremendous existing record of punctualityand reliability, and to keep this vital arteryof London’s economy flowing smoothly. Thisperformance then underpins excellent customersatisfaction levels.First TransPennine ExpressA major project to build an additional stationplatform at Manchester Airport posed aninteresting challenge. Introduction of the new2008 high frequency West Coast Main Linetimetable depended upon the project beingcompleted on time.For the engineers, it was an awkward siteburied deep in the heart of the airport’s roadnetwork. All partners in the scheme had to findthe best solutions, and quickly, if the schemewas to deliver the benefits it promised. Adynamic partnership saw the project finishedin 18 months, with minimum disruption toroad and rail users and nearby businesses.Passengers have also benefited from improvedtrain reliability.

ATA Rail Business Manager of the yearMalcolm Holmes, LorolMalcolm Holmes is responsible for helpingto transform customer service at LondonOverground Rail Operations Ltd (Lorol). Hehas worked his way up since starting on ayouth training scheme at 16 years old andis now deputy customer service director atLorol.He has a solid understanding of thedemands of various roles on the railway,through his own experience. He has createda vision for customer service and deliveredan ‘on-train transformation programme.’Malcolm is an ‘ideas man’ who is actionorientatedand remains calm in difficultsituations without panicking and is a creditto Lorol.Alan Neville, National ExpressEast AngliaLocal station manager Alan Neville hasimproved station standards for NationalExpress East Anglia, enhanced stationpresentation, built community relationships,increased third party funding and delivered abetter service for passengers at the stationswithin his responsibility.Classic examples are the communitystation partnerships created at Ely, Elsenhamand March. These stations have seen acombination of increased commitment,greater community involvement, impressivevolunteer effort and new partnershipfunding. As a result, the stations are smarter,brighter and impressive gateways to theircommunities.Neville has a successful, effective andenthusiastic approach, which has shownthe railway at its best, fulfilling its role asthe fabric of the region, to the benefit ofcustomers and the community alike.Nick Donovan, First TransPennineExpressA visionary and inspirational leader ofhis own team, an enthusiastic mentor forcolleagues within FTPE and a respectedprofessional in the wider rail industry, NickDonovan is a manager driven by an infectiousenergy.Donovan leads colleagues to find the rightsolutions, implement them and ensure theystay implemented, which is essential for aservice delivery organisation.With the vision to see beyond today’schallenges and to introduce new thinking andnew solutions, Donovan retains a laser-likefocus on the corporate objective. He is alwayseager to encourage others to be similarlyinspired to see what needs to be done andto surprise themselves by what they canachieve.Lee Jones, Tube LinesLee Jones is credited with turning the‘Misery line’ – the Northern line on theLondon Underground – into one of the bestperforming lines on the entire network.He converted a year-on-year abatementof £200,000 per month into a year-on-yearbonus of £400,000 per month, reducingthe overall operations spend by 15 per centsince 2008 through more efficient workingpractices, which is five per cent ahead ofthe target position. Jones also improved thesafety culture for employees and contractorswho are now 20 times less likely to sufferinjury at work under Jones’ watch andleadership, reducing the number of days lostto injury.Tim Shoveller, East MidlandsTrainsTim Shoveller’s meteoric career has seenhim rise from his first job as trainman atGuildford to work his way through the ranksto the position of East Midlands Trains’managing director today.Under his careful watch, the company’srevolutionary December 2008 timetable hasbecome one of the recent major successes ofthe industry. Tim’s uncompromising ‘can do’attitude was at the forefront of harnessingthe skills of those around him to drive thedelivery of this ambitious project, completelytransforming travel for passengers in the EastMidlands and South Yorkshire.Phil Webster, First GBRfA career railwayman, Phil Webster joinedFirst GBRf in 2006. Just two years later, in2008, he was recognised for his successesand given increased responsibilities when hewas made the company’s head of coal.His innate sense of quality customercommunication and the ability to spanorganisational functions has, in just one year,led directly to significant further growth inFirst GBRf’s coal business, an increasinglytough and competitive market.Webster is recognised by hiscontemporaries as a ‘great bloke’ who iscommitted to the business and always gives100 per cent to any project he is involved with.Tim ShovellerNick DonovanLee Jones Malcolm Holmes Alan Neville Phil WebsterPage thirty-three

SSP Train Operator of the yearScotrailNational Express East AngliaLondon UndergroundSouthernSouthernSouthern made two sustainability promises toits stakeholders in 2007:• To reduce its energy consumption; and• To contribute to the national sustainabletransport strategy by increasing passengernumbers.Neither of these have been plain sailing.Attracting people away from their cars is asdifficult as reducing the energy consumption ofageing buildings, stations and rolling stock.Nevertheless, a procession of innovationshas already delivered substantial results,reducing energy consumption by more than25 per cent while simultaneously increasingpassenger journeys by 13 per cent.ScotRailThe year to October 2009 was marked forScotRail by even more people having theopportunity to switch to public transport.Its ongoing transformation of rail servicesand partnership approach over the year hasincluded:• The biggest enhancements to the timetablein the past decade;Page thirty-four• Record high customer satisfaction ratings;and• A best ever single period high publicperformance measure, which combinespunctuality and reliability of 94.8 per cent.Despite the clear impact of the weakereconomy on the UK’s rail industry, passengerjourneys rose by 3.2 per cent in the year to 31March 2009, from 81.3 million to 83.9 million.First Great WesternIn the last 18 months, First Great Westernhas come a long way to improve the serviceit provides to its customers. The joint effortsof colleagues across the company have seenFirst Great Western move from the bottomof the industry performance league table toseventh place out of 19 train operators.With punctuality consistently over 90 percent, 81 per cent of customers now satisfiedwith the service it provides and a 30.5 per centreduction in complaints, First Great Westernbelieves the only way is up. However, thecompany recognises there is much more to doif it is to continue to deliver high quality serviceto its customers.Chiltern RailwaysEveryday, Chiltern Railways aims to offera safe, reliable, welcoming and value-formoneyservice. Its daily drive for excellencehas recently been reflected in the NationalPassenger Survey, which again sees thecompany achieve an industry-leading 90 percent customer satisfaction rating, which canbe attributed to:• The highest ever public performancemeasure at 97.51 per cent;• Millions of pounds of investment in stations,including a brand new mainline station atAylesbury Vale Parkway;• Consistent passenger growth;• £225 investment in frontline staff training;• £1m upgrade to its integrated control centre;and• Dedication to delivering excellent service.Chiltern Railways continues to improvestandards and develop and invest in itsbusiness.London UndergroundThe year 2008-09 was London Underground’sbest ever year in terms of operational

Eversholt Rail Business Awards 2009 PreviewFirst Great WesternChiltern RailwaysNorthern RailC2CFirst TransPennine Expressperformance. LU delivered more train servicesthan ever before, achieved its highest evercustomer satisfaction scores, and carriedmore passengers than ever before.With nearly 1.1 billion passenger journeysmade during the year, or 3.5 to 4 millionjourneys on the busiest weekdays, this figureis almost as many as the entire National Railnetwork.C2CEssex operator C2C has providedconsistently high standards of service andcontinuous improvement across all aspectsof its operations over the past 12 months.Achievements include:• The delivery of the best train performancein the industry and the best ever movingannual average, equalling Swiss standards ofperformance;• Increased customer satisfaction, achievingsome of the highest NPS scores on thenetwork;• The introduction of new products andenhancements to its energy efficiency andenvironmental credentials;• Significant progress in other areas such assafety and security, integration and customercommunication;• Greater involvement of customers inservice development, through the company’spassengers’ panel; and• Greater involvement of employees incompany strategy through a summarybusiness plan.First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express has continuedto grow and develop its business throughchallenging times. The company hascontinued to draw passengers to its servicesand transformed its punctuality. It’s seen morepassengers expressing satisfaction and hasinspired its work force to rise to the challengeof delivering great service every day.Despite being one of the country’s smalleroperators, FTPE is now regarded as one ofthe best long-distance train companies withconsistent, enviable performance, outstandingcommercial success and a proven commitmentto developing and investing in rail travel for thenorth of England.Northern RailNorthern Rail continues to challenge thestatus quo of its ‘steady state’ franchise and todeliver more for its customers. In 2008-09,Northern Rail achieved milestone-bustingperformance levels, was recognised as bestin class in occupational health and safety anddelivered the single biggest timetable changeof any train operator.Northern Rail’s value-for-money fares,increasing punctuality and reliability anddetermination to provide consistently highlevels of customer service have been key tocontinuing to attract passengers.National Express East AngliaEast of England operator National ExpressEast Anglia has made significant progress inevery aspect of its business over the last 12months.From performance to customer service,security, integrated transport, timetableimprovements and environmental initiativessuch as energy efficiency, National ExpressEast Anglia has enhanced the service it offersto its passengers.Page thirty-five

delivering greatservice everyday