The UK Rail Industry Awards received 239 entries across the 18 award categories and produced 22 winners. The full shortlist is as follows:
Apprenticeship Development Scheme
London Underground
London Underground’s Apprenticeship Development Scheme will develop new, skilled track renewal operatives who will be experienced and proficient in the LU environment. Focusing on track renewal, the scheme saw 20 successful appointments in 2012.
Network Rail
The Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme is a cornerstone of the future development of Network Rail, equipping applicants to become the technicians, team leaders, supervisors, managers and engineers of the future.
ScotRail
ScotRail’s Modern Apprenticeship in Customer Service is the first rail industry apprenticeship scheme focusing on customer service, with placements on train, in hospitality, and at booking offices
Southern Railway
Southern’s Apprenticeship Scheme offers recruits four years of hands-on learning in the Fleet Department, including the opportunity to undertake a role across one of Southern's three major depots.
Collaborative Working
Hitchin Alliance
The Hitchin Flyover was successfully delivered under a Project Alliance Agreement between Network Rail and HOCHTIEF, supported by the BS11000 ‘Collaborative Business Relationships’ standards and principles.
Network Rail Infrastructure Projects
Network Rail is working in accordance with BS11000 as an enabler of cultural and behavioural change, driving more consistent and stronger relationships with partners.
Network Rail
The Stafford Area Improvements Programme was delivered through the industry’s first ‘pure alliance’ comprising Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail.
Skanska
The Borough Viaduct project was delivered by working in close collaboration with the client, design team, supply chain and local stakeholders and neighbours, and was BS11000-accredited.
Cost Base Reduction
Aspin Foundations Limited
Aspin provided an alternative solution for the track stabilisation problems on the West Coast Main Line; ‘Trackbed Enhanced Axial Micropiles’ (TEAM).
Concrete Canvas Ltd
A new material technology called Concrete Canvas (CC), essentially a concrete impregnated geotextile, offers a rapidly installed alternative to conventional concreting.
TATA Steel Projects
Construction of a new platform at Templecombe station in the disused trackbed adjacent to the disused platform created significant savings.
TfL
The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade included a new procurement approach, Innovative Contractor Engagement (ICE), to maximise market value.
CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility
First Capital Connect
FCC’s work forms part of the Prince’s Trust ‘Get into Railways’ programme, providing intensive training and support for young people.
Linbrooke Services
Linbrooke offers an extensive internal training programme called 'operational leadership' with an emphasis on a learning approach and business resilience.
Serco Docklands
Serco for Skills and the Community Ambassador schemes aim to improve skills and employment, and to increase awareness of the DLR, for local residents.
Southern Railway
Southern supported local community groups to improve the passenger experience through Station Partnerships, including the Art on the Line project.
Electrification
Amey
Amey built a High Output Operations Base (HOOB) for the first high-output electrification scheme on the GWML, bringing environmental and efficiency benefits.
Network Rail and the Railway Industry Association – REDP
The Rail Electrification Development Programme (REDP) is preparing the UK network for electrification, seeking to address any potential pinch points.
ScotRail
The Paisley Canal Electrification (PaCE) scheme was successfully completed in an alliance with Network Rail along a five-mile stretch of line, with costs reduced by 61%.
WCPSU Integrated Team
Costain helped to deliver the third phase of the West Coast Power Supply Upgrade (PSU), with Network Rail, Alstom, and Babcock.
Environmental & Sustainability
Concrete Canvas Ltd
A new material technology called Concrete Canvas (CC), essentially a concrete impregnated geotextile, typically delivers 90% material savings.
CrossCountry
The Lamp Block project involved the design and construction of new sustainable accommodation for 500 train crew using Birmingham New Street station.
Northern Rail
‘Loco’s Lair’ invited Northern’s employees to pitch sustainability ideas, with the finalists’ ideas to be implemented by the TOC.
ScotRail
The Energy Reduction Strategy has introduced renewable energy sources, power conservation schemes, recycling and education campaigns across the Scottish railway.
Lifetime Achievement
Graham Ellis
Training Development Manager at McGinley, Graham Ellis’s focus on behavioural change has transformed track safety, with many schemes adopted as best practice across the industry.
Alan Runacres
CH2M Hill Project Director Alan Runacres has given 45 years of continuous service, delivering major railway and tunnelling infrastructure, including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
Vincent Wragg
Professional Head of Telecomms at Telent, Vincent Wragg has introduced ground-breaking new technology to the railways and he also mentors young entrants to the industry.
Mobile Technology
Ayoupa
Developed the Commuter iPhone app, which continuously integrates disparate live transport service data, allowing multiple routes to be compared.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry has introduced mobile retailing via a new ticketing app, with seat reservations available up until ten minutes before boarding.
First Great Western
FGW’s mTicketing system has been rolled out across its network with colour signatures providing reference for inspectors to check tickets visually.
MITIE Total Security Management
A new five-year smartcard platform updates Network Rail’s paper-based Sentinel scheme and allows worker safety and competence checks to be made in real-time.
Outstanding Projects – Small (under £3m)
Lynch Plant Hire Ltd
Lynch Plant Hire Ltd developed a ‘Rail Hub’ in central London to remove excavated spoil to a landfill site, streamlining the system for dealing with waste material.
Network Rail
The refurbishment of Blackfriars footbridge was achieved £42,000 under the budget of £622,000 and 16 weeks ahead of programme.
Rhodar Ltd
Central advertisement boards were replaced with digital screens at Waterloo station for Network Rail, removing asbestos without risk to the public.
TfL – TDU
The St Paul's Hub demonstrates through design, coordination and execution of construction the highest level of engineering skill and incorporates an innovative approach to addressing a fundamental business need: transporting men and materials below the ground to site following the evening’s last train, and removing men and spoil from site prior to the morning’s first train, as quickly and safely as possible.
Outstanding Projects – Medium (£3m-20m)
Track Partnership
A strategic alliance between London Underground and Balfour Beatty Rail delivered a series of upgrades to the Hainault Loop section of the Central Line with a 40% reduction in disruption.
Network Rail/BAM Nuttall/BAM Ritchies – Hooley Cutting
Successful delivery of the main stabilisation works at Hooley Cutting, despite limited working hours and restricted plant size.
Bourne Construction Ltd
Bourne installed a geometrically complicated truss into Farringdon Station, overcoming significant access challenges.
ScotRail
The Paisley Canal Electrification (PaCE) project was completed with costs reduced by 61%, from £28m to £11m.
Outstanding Projects – Large (Over £20m)
CH2M Hill
CH2M Hill helped to deliver the London Overground Capacity Upgrade Project (LOCIP), completing the development phase to an accelerated schedule.
Chiltern Railways
The launch of Chiltern Mainline created one of the UK’s fastest rail services, reducing journey times between Birmingham and London to 90 minutes.
Network Rail
The Reading Station Area Redevelopment (RSAR) Project was nominated for its sheer scale, strategic importance, technical and logistic complexity, and as an exemplar in collaborative working and innovation.
Hitchin Alliance
The Hitchin Alliance, Network Rail and HOCHTIEF, delivered a grade separated junction – a new 2.5 km railway chord comprising 0.8km of new viaduct and 1.2km of built embankment.
Passenger Safety
ATD Ltd
A new Quantum M100 seat was designed and delivered to meet the requirements of GMRT 2100 Issue 5, allowing passengers to ‘self recover’ and improve safety.
Barnbrook Systems Ltd
Barnbrook Systems supplied a new three-step brake controller for East Midlands Trains, highlighting safety and obsolescence issues and improving reliability.
Commend UK
Commend UK created an Interactive Information Point with London Underground, designed with touch screen and real-time information.
Southern Railway
Southern has introduced CHURROS, a new system to monitor the performance of drivers, effectively assessing competence and providing feedback.
Rail Asset Security
Amey Rail
The renewal of two level crossings at Llanelli. The design incorporated Obstacle Detection, which detects objects, vehicles or people on the crossing before a train approaches it, reducing theft and vandalism.
Axis Communications
Developed cameras which produce HDTV quality footage to help identify and prosecute offenders guilty of vandalism, metal theft, ticket fraud, track trespassing and unauthorised access.
Rail Freight Excellence
Atkins, Network Rail, Balfour Beatty
The delivery of the Nuneaton North Chord linked the existing cross-country route from Felixstowe to Nuneaton with the WCML to improve reliability and service frequency.
Atkins Limited
Atkins delivered the design and construction supervision for the new rail system to serve the new London Gateway Port.
FreightArranger
Software designed to simplify rail freight access by automating the search-quote-book process, arranging short haul road haulage to connect with the train and tracking the container in transit.
VTG Rail UK Ltd
The first production build of Ecofret container wagons into UK traffic, as part of Freightliner’s new Shortliner intermodal service.
Recruitment Excellence
Amey plc
A recruitment campaign that engaged ex-service personnel and sought to encourage retention within the industry through post-graduate conversion courses run in conjunction with Network Rail.
ATA Recruitment Ltd
Undertook an international recruitment campaign to identify new candidates with transferrable skills from locations where railway systems share key features with the UK.
Northern Rail
A Diversity and Inclusion strategy was developed to encourage under-represented groups such as women and ethnic minorities to apply for driver roles and to promote Northern as a local employer.
TfL
‘Classroom to Boardroom’ is a scheme aimed to encourage more children to take STEM subjects and to promote the transport industry and engineering as a career of choice.
Signalling & Telecommunications
Network Rail
The Great Northern Great Eastern (GNGE) project includes linespeed enhancement through a new signalling system and continuous welded rail.
Network Rail
Network Rail introduced a modern lightweight signalling scheme in the Valleys, meeting future requirements for electrification in the area around Cardiff.
ScotRail
The UK rail industry’s biggest-ever roll-out of free wi-fi at stations and on-board all Class 170 and 38 Class 380s across Scotland.
TfL
The new signalling system on the Jubilee and Northern lines facilitates capacity enhancements and includes a loop cable which if it is damaged leads to the train service being suspended.
Social Media
CrossCountry
The development of a social media strategy to engage with student passengers led to a 20% year-on-year increase of sales through the NUS extra channel.
So dash
Software allows train operators to listen to, join in with, and manage social media conversations happening around them and about them.
Southern Railway
Southern and BBC South produced a film of the journey from London to Brighton from the view of a driver’s cab, which has now had well over half a million views on YouTube alone.
Training & Development
Arcadia Alive Ltd
The Driver Support and Human Factors for Trainee Drivers programmes aim to enhance non-technical skills to complement drivers’ technical knowledge and to maximise safe behaviour.
Babcock
A Training and Development programme for Network Rail’s engineering technicians through a residential three year Advanced Apprenticeship Programme that delivers sector leading specialists.
Mott MacDonald
The graduate rotation programme creates a talent pipeline of consultants who are comfortable and effective in a multi-functional environment, and professionally qualified.
Network Rail
The Great Northern Great Eastern (GNGE) Leadership Development Programme (GLDP) is designed to equip operational leaders with practical skills essential to leading operational teams successfully across the project.
ScotRail
ScotRail’s Training Academy delivers customer service apprenticeships, mature apprenticeships, and performance development leadership schemes.
WCPSU Integrated Team
Under a programme to ‘build their own’ OLE-competent workforce, trainees were recruited from outside the industry and supervised by mentors through the Overhead Line Electrification Competence (OLEC) programme.
Workforce Safety
Arcadia Alive Ltd
A driver support programme enhances workers’ non-technical skills and drives behavioural change and improved performance.
Dual Inventive Ltd
Remote control technology was introduced to improve workforce safety by allowing staff to activate a possession without entering the track.
MITIE Total Security Management
A new five-year smartcard platform updates Network Rail’s paper-based Sentinel scheme and allows worker safety and competence checks to be made in real-time.
ScotRail
The ‘Switched On’ awareness campaign improved personal responsibility for safety and ‘The Professionals’ campaign saw a behaviour-based development programme delivered.
Young Rail Professional – Female
Katie Anderton
Senior Environmental Consultant at Temple Group, Katie Anderton is working on LOCIP and has been ‘instrumental’ across the programme, adding value beyond her remit.
Charlotte Mace
Charlotte Mace, Civil Field Engineer at Network Rail, has worked on the Crossrail Acton Dive-under project and managed the reorganisation of the graduate scheme into the devolved routes system.
Emma Taylor
National Aerial Survey Specialist at Network Rail, Emma Taylor started as an apprentice in signal engineering and now acts as an ambassador promoting apprenticeships to young people.
Young Rail Professional – Male
Scott Bradley
OTM Operations Manager at AmeyColas, Scott Bradley developed an extremely low-cost, robustly engineered GPS driven flange lubrication system suitable for use on preserved lines with much lower operating speeds than mainline counterparts.
Toufic Machnouk
Project Manager at Network Rail, Toufic Machnouk helped deliver the new train care depot in Reading six months ahead of its public commitment and saved 25% of its £131m budget.
Joseph Muskett
Project Acceptance Specialist at Network Rail Infrastructure Projects, Joseph Muskett made significant contributions to project governance through the national Rail Infrastructure Supplier performance initiative.