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The National Rail Awards 2014

The National Rail Awards 2014
Written by Roma Publications

The National Rail Awards 2014

The National Rail Awards 2014 – which took place on Thursday 18th September – was a celebration of the rail industry, rewarding those who have made a huge difference to the railway network.

The event was a huge success and not only did it see a plethora of leading names take to the stage to collect awards, it also demonstrated the commitment that is being made to improving railways.

Hosted by television comedian Jon Culshaw, almost 1,300 people attended the event at Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London. Industry names who appeared at the National Rail Awards included the likes of Carillion Rail, First Great Western, GB Railfreight, Smartwater Technology, National Railway Museum and the British Transport Police, amongst others.

Chairman of the Judges for the National Rail Awards, John Swift QC, said:

“What is remarkable about the railway, and the reason why it has been such an extraordinary success story in recent years, is the sheer dedication of railway people to serve the passengers and the freight users with passion. Private sector passenger and freight train operators are serving the public interest, and all dependent on Network Rail, which is now planted firmly in the public sector, to renew and enhance the infrastructure so as to accommodate growth in demand. The fact that our railway now heads European tables for passenger satisfaction is testament to that.”

The celebration kicked off at 6pm with a pre-dinner drinks reception in the hotel’s ballroom, with the awards presentation taking place at 9:30pm.

Categories included Small Station of the Year; Medium Station of the Year; and Large Station of the Year, which was awarded to Haymarket. Meanwhile, Major Station of the Year was awarded to Chiltern Railways for London Marylebone Station.

Civil Engineering Achievement of the Year was handed to AMCO and Network Rail for the Holme Tunnel Reconstruction; DB Schenker Rail UK picked up an award in the category of Freight & Logistics Achievement of the Year for its logistics solution for Novelis; and London Underground was awarded Maintenance Team of the Year. Siemens and London Midland picked up Innovation of the Year for Project 110.

Additional categories included Outstanding Personal Contribution; the Stephenson Award for Engineering Innovation; ‘The Orange Army’ Special Judges Award; and Outstanding Teamwork Award. London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL) were handed a Safety Award.

East Midlands Trains picked up Passenger Operator of the Year, whilst Southern Railway and Cubic Transportation Systems was awarded in the category of Putting Passengers First. To complete the night, Balfour Beatty was honoured with Project of the Year for the Waverley Station refurbishment project.

For more information about The National Rail Awards 2014, please visit: www.awards.railbusinessevents.co.uk.

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Roma Publications