GWR - Rail Business of the Year

[whole diary]

[bobm]

From the Railway Gazette

UK^▸ (United Kingdom): Great Western Railway was announced as Rail Business of the Year and ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes was named Industry Leader of the Year at the 20th Rail Business Awards.

Hosted by Railway Gazette at London’s Hilton hotel on Park Lane on February 22, the event bought together around 600 senior executives and industry experts from across the UK rail sector. The 20th anniversary awards were presented by TV and radio celebrity Sandi Toksvig.

‘Once again, these awards have highlighted the contribution made by so many individuals and companies throughout the UK rail industry, who put a huge amount of effort, vision and skill into developing their business and serving their customers’, said Railway Gazette Editor-in-Chief Chris Jackson. ‘These awards have become a highlight of the industry calendar, providing a valuable opportunity to pay tribute to all the hard work that goes on across the UK rail sector, day in, day out.’

In awarding GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) the coveted title of Rail Business of the Year, the judges said the operator had shown ‘incredible versatility and resilience through a very difficult period', despite the disruption caused by electrification and upgrading works. GWR also won the Rolling Stock Excellence award for bringing into service its Class 387 EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) on Thames Valley commuter services, and the Safety & Security Excellence award for a partnership project to reduce anti-social behaviour on the Severn Beach branch.

Chiltern Railway won Train Operator of the Year for completing and launching its new route to Oxford, as well as its consistently strong performance and high levels of customer satisfaction.

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes was named Industry Leader of the Year, while the alliance’s Head of Integrated Control, Mark Ilderton, took the award for Young Professional of the Year.

[JayMac]

I don't use the Severn Beach Line any more.

Just saying...   

[ray951]

I assume they didn't ask any actual passengers in determining this award.
They should have asked those on
Cotswold Line
Didcot - Oxford shuttles
Last saturday on the HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) services
Severn Beach line
etc. etc.

They might have got a different response.

[broadgage]

Well GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have done better than Southern, or GTR.

[johnneyw]

Hmm, these types of back slapping awards are a bit rich, you might as well have 'Mugger of the Year' award.

An award for Severn Beach line for measures against anti social behavior? It didn't have that much, unless it referred to the school kids on the Hogwarts services. The delays, early turnbacks and cancellations that are still rife can be considered, at the very least, antisocial.

[TaplowGreen]

The whole thing is worthy of a Monty Python sketch.


...."the judges said the operator had shown ‘incredible versatility and resilience through a very difficult period".


..........clearly drinks were being served to the judges from very early in the day.

 

[martyjon]

.... And the award for the INVISIBLE RAILMAN OF 2018 goes to MMAAAARRRRRRRRK HOPWOOD, I see he condescended to crawl out of the woodwork to sup a glass of champers in celebration.

[Timmer]

A reward for failure. Talk about rubbing your long suffering passengers noses in it. There is nothing to celebrate on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). The rail industry is a sick joke the way it awards itself whilst providing such a shoddy service and should be a bit more humble.

[Worcester_Passenger]

I think that this award is sick. On the Cotswold line, on the day that the award was presented

05:12 Paddington - Moreton  and return working
07:10 Moreton - Paddington : a Turbo instead of the advertised HST^▸ (High Speed Train)/IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)
08:21 Paddington - Hereford : cancelled after Shrub Hill (and 19 late there) due to no crew
12:09 Hereford - Paddington : cancelled as far as Shrub Hill due to no crew
12:21 Paddington - Shrub Hill : cancelled after Evesham (and 43 late there) due to signals
13:22 Paddington - Foregate Street : 67 late and gave up at Shrub Hill due to signals
14:21 Paddington - Foregate St : 40 late and gave up at Shrub Hill due to signals
15:22 Paddington - Malvern : a Turbo instead of the advertised HST/IET
15:22 Shrub Hill - Paddington : cancelled as far as Evesham due to signals. 25 late into Paddington.
15:51 Foregate Street - Paddington : strated from Shrub Hill due to signals. 63 late into Paddington.
15:52 Paddington - Moreton : cancelled after Oxford (and 39 late there) due to "late running"
16:22 Paddington - Malvern : cancelled throughout due to no crew
17:26 Foregate St - Paddington : started from Shrub Hill.
17:38 Moreton - Paddington : started from Oxford due to signals
17:52 Paddington - Shrub Hill : a Turbo instead of the advertised HST/IET
18:22 Paddington - Hereford : 32 late
18:34 Malvern - Paddington : a Turbo instead of the advertised HST/IET
19:42 Malvern - Paddington : cancelled throughout due to no crew
20:59 Foregate St - Paddington : a Turbo instead of the advertised HST/IET

If this is what happens with the "Rail business of the year" then God help the others.

[charles_uk]

You can add to the above 15:22 Paddington to Great Malvern (and return) a Turbo instead of the advertised HST^▸ (High Speed Train)/IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)

[chuffed]

How about an award for Chris B for sticking up for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) when everyone else is shouting him down ?

[TaplowGreen]

How about an award for Chris B for sticking up for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) when everyone else is shouting him down ?

Nice idea.......but Ooooooooos gunna pay for it? 😉

[martyjon]

.... And the award for the INVISIBLE RAILMAN OF 2018 goes to MMAAAARRRRRRRRK HOPWOOD, I see he condescended to crawl out of the woodwork to sup a glass of champers in celebration.

.... Now for the ancillary awards, I call upon Mr. Mark Hopwood to present to the judges of the Rail Business of the Year their free rail passes for travel on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services for the forthcoming 12 months. ....

[grahame]

OK folks ... point made. 

I note that we're far from alone in having problems at the moment - looking at Southern and Northern groups that fulfil some of the functions of our Western one, and even in Scotland ...

Were a problem to be purely in one franchise, logic would be to blame it mostly on something specific to that franchise. But where problems exist in so many places, and with different franchise operators, much more we should look at common factors such as their common suppliers and / or the system and environment they work in, including customer expectations.

[martyjon]

OK folks ... point made. 

I note that we're far from alone in having problems at the moment - looking at Southern and Northern groups that fulfil some of the functions of our Western one, and even in Scotland ...

Were a problem to be purely in one franchise, logic would be to blame it mostly on something specific to that franchise. But where problems exist in so many places, and with different franchise operators, much more we should look at common factors such as their common suppliers and / or the system and environment they work in, including customer expectations.

Accepted Grahame, but haven't the judges enough guts to make 'No Award' for this year rather than making a mockery of the award.

Thats my final comment on this subject.