Team Knutsford, Northern Rail, has already received a measure of recognition for its dynamic, go ahead work at the station on the busy Chester – Manchester line.
Says station manager, David Tyrer, ’In January, Knutsford station won the ‘In Bloom’ award for Cheshire in partnership with the Mid Cheshire rail user group. The staff and helpers transformed areas of the station into a more pleasing environment.’
Later that same month ‘Team Knutsford’ were in the local paper for helping a customer who had just missed her train. Staff looked after the lady and gave her a cup of coffee, a small gesture but one that the customer didn’t expect and she wrote in to the local newspaper.
In April, Knutsford station received a letter of praise from another passenger who was trying to get to Macclesfield. The man was full of praise for the team and thanked them when they explained all the options open to him. The man subsequently wrote in to Northern Rail praising the team.
This is not an isolated example. A lady wrote in thanking the team for sorting out a difficult journey to Bristol.
The customer was so impressed with the cheerful member of staff saying that nothing was any trouble to them. Another lady had left her laptop at the station. Inside was the address of the company that she worked for. Team Knutsford sprung into action and managed to reunite the customer with her laptop. The lady was in a panic when she arrived back at the station. Members of the team rallied round and made her a hot drink and chatted to her until her train came. The lady was grateful for the laptop and the drink and took the trouble to write in and say so.
More recently the team received a letter of thanks from a passenger who realised he was travelling without the necessary funds. The customer wrote in praising the staff for helping him out of the dilemma he found himself in.
Says Cheryl Crompton, who works at the station, ‘Everyone is very friendly at the station and we are all one big family.’
‘The team at Knutsford comprises Cheryl, Chris, Ged, John and Roy,’ says David Tyrer. ‘They are very much a proactive team, and I am really proud to work with such staff.’
Rail Team of the Year was sponsored by Softech Global, which provides signalling, telecoms, permanent way and OLE services to the UK rail industry.
Says managing director of Softech Global Manoj Agrawal, ‘I think it’s very important we recognise the individuals within the industry.
‘Often it is the company which has been recognised… the individuals feel a bit left out that they have done the hard work and somebody else, their MD or the director, has won the award.’
Highly commended
- Young Rail Professionals (YRP)
- Merseyrail Safety Team, Merseyrail
