The nominations are all in and the votes have been counted. All that’s left to do is announce this year’s winners.
Almost 300 nominations have been shortlisted across 20 different categories, including Outstanding Customer Service, Station Staff of the Year and the Samaritans Lifesaver Awards.
Employees from Network Rail, London Underground, the train operating companies, infrastructure contracting companies and engineering service providers will help demonstrate the diversity of roles and career paths available across the industry.
Entries include selfless charity fundraisers, ambitious apprentices and the leaders behind multi-million pound projects. Friends and colleagues have been getting behind this year’s nominees, with some receiving in excess of 30 nominations alone.
We have once again been overwhelmed by the nature and sheer volume of lifesaving interventions which have formed the basis of many of this year’s nominations. These range from staff who have stepped in to prevent a suicidal person from taking their own life to those who have put their first aid training into practice to assist a customer in need.
An independent panel of judges has helped to decide this year’s winning lineup. The panel includes Chris Rayner, director of infrastructure management at HS2; Gary Cooper, director of planning, engineering and operations at RDG; Gaynor Pates, RIA’s membership, events and business administration director; Shamit Gaiger, director of strategy at the National Skills Academy for Rail; Carolyn Griffiths, board member of the Engineering Council and a non-executive director of Irish Rail; and Alison Rumsey, Network Rail’s group HR director.
The RailStaff Awards is now into its 12th year and will be hosted at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on 29 November.
Tom O’Connor, managing director of event organiser Rail Media, said: “Every year we start with a blank canvas and every year, without fail, we’re inundated with hundreds and hundreds of nominations. Reading the stories of this year’s shortlisted nominees is really inspiring and makes me proud to be part of this wonderful industry.
“Although only 20 awards will be handed out on the night, I hope everyone who has been nominated will feel proud in what they’ve achieved because that’s why we continue to host this event.”
To find out about the dress code, timings and entertainment planned for this year’s event, visit www.railstaffawards.com
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