PPS Rail may be relatively new in the rail industry but it draws on the combined strengths of its members to provide the rail industry with a top performing integrated project management team.
Initially formed as a dedicated access planning company, PPS Rail has quickly expanded its operational services to provide civil engineering works and site services.
Melissa Follon is a fan, ‘I have chosen to nominate this team as they have continuously proven to be the best. They work amazingly and efficiently as a team and strive for the very best. They put a lot of value on their employees and it shows clearly in the level of professional dealings they are involved in.
‘They show time after time that they look after their own and are always first to try and deal with any situations in a professional manner. They are a well-suited team and will continue to go on and progress further and achieve more.’
PPS Rail is providing Help for Heroes by employing ex-forces staff and mentoring them until they achieve a level of knowledge which allows them to feel confident on site. They then become an integral cog in the PPS Rail family machine. Employing service personnel in railways is increasingly popular in the rail industry thanks to pioneering work by PPS Rail.
Robert Lane knows firsthand what it’s like trying to adjust to civvy street.
‘When I came to PPS Rail Ltd I had recently left the army with nowhere to go and not much prospect of a future. I spoke to the RFEA (Regular forces employment agency) who suggested that working on the railway could be an option. I paid for the course but unfortunately, because I suffer from PTSD, I was unable to work on track. This is when I met the guys at PPS Rail.’
Robert Lane has served in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia. He was injured in a bomb blast in Kosovo. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may have been a problem in another company but not at PPS Rail.
‘The director, John Mills saw something in me, and decided to take me on as a planner, even though I had no rail experience at all. PPS Rail showed faith and had the courage to take a punt on an ex-squaddie with an issue.’ The move paid off and Robert Lane is now a valued member of the award-wining team based in Runcorn.
Adds Robert, ‘The guys in PPS Rail have been very supportive, understanding and very professional. We’re an integrated company. Everyone helps each other from the apprentice to the managing director, to the PTS staff, we all work as a team and strive to be the best in our field. We always go the extra mile to achieve this.’
Andrew Frost, managing director, PPS Rail, said, ‘I’d like to thank all our staff, we are a 30-strong team, professional and fully integrated.
‘The team have established themselves across all areas of the country and managed various different projects large and small.’
With a wealth of railway experience, glowing customer testimonials and the added bonus of military know-how, PPS Rail is on the winning side and poised for further expansion.
Says managing director of award sponsor Intertrain, and Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Keith Jessop, ‘The award recognises teamwork, something which is essential for completing projects and completing them safely. It’s right that we celebrate the outstanding contributions teams and individuals make every day to the running of the railway. It’s a challenging industry to work in at times but it can also be one of the most rewarding.
‘I wish the winner, highly commended and all teams nominated for this award every success in their future careers in the rail industry.’
Highly commended
- Harbury Landslip Emergency Response Team, Network Rail
- Van Elle Rail
