Greater Anglia and AtkinsRéalis among winners as Rail Business Awards return to Manchester

Following a landmark move to Manchester in 2024, the Rail Business Awards returned to the city on February 20. More than 300 guests came together at the Hilton Hotel Manchester Deansgate for a star-studded evening, organised by the Railway Gazette Group at DVV Media International, with the 27th annual event being hosted by actress, writer, presenter and comedian Lucy Porter.

The move to the north of England not only reflects the geographical spread and diversity of the rail network, but with the devolution of transport policy to cities and regions high on the new government’s national reform agenda, the case for holding the event in Manchester is clear.

The awards come at the start of a year of rail-focused celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in September 1825. However, the rail sector also stands on the cusp of the most significant reforms in three decades, with the consultation on legislation to create Great British Railways now in progress. Against this backdrop, the Rail Business Awards presented an opportunity for the industry to recognise and celebrate the many individuals and companies whose vision, innovation and commitment are helping to ensure the industry continues to play a vital role for the economy and society as a whole.

Welcoming guests to the event, Railway Gazette Group Executive Editor Nick Kingsley underlined the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the many examples of commercial, technical and personal excellence that are seen across the network day-in and day-out. ‘The strong field of entries for the 19 categories being contested this year emphasises that much valuable work is still under way across many different parts of the industry’, he said.

The winners

AtkinsRéalis was named Rail Business of the Year, with the judges commenting that its three wins on the night served to demonstrate the company’s excellence in an array of disciplines from signalling to carbon management and digital rail.

Earlier in the evening, AtkinsRéalis was presented with the award for Safety & Security Excellence with the judges praising the company for its excellent approach to reviewing and analysing rules and standards on ETCS projects, noting that the entry ‘demonstrated a passion to achieve a higher level of safety and security’.

AtkinsRéalis also received the award for Sustainability & Environmental Excellence, having submitted a well-rounded entry that showed how project economics can be improved when environmental impact is prioritised.

The consultancy’s Feltham to Wokingham Re-Signalling Programme Team was named as the Rail Team of the Year, with the judges praising ‘the comprehensive entry that emphasised how the creation of a collaborative culture focused on project outcomes was essential for successful partnerships’.

In the highly competitive Train Operator of the Year category, the judges commended West Midlands Trains for delivering more and newer rolling stock, but named Greater Anglia as the winner. ‘The operator had been dealt a strong hand thanks to recent investment in an all-new fleet, it has played it well’, the judges said. They noted that the company has consistently delivered a robust and reliable service for its users over the past year, and recognised the value of its partnership with Network Rail that has been delivering industry-leading punctuality.

A new category for the 27^th edition, the award for Skills Development Excellence recognises any company or organisation in the UK rail sector that has put training and development at the heart of their business. The first recipient of this award was Translink’s Permanent Way Department for its Apprenticeship Programme for Track Maintenance Workers. This was ‘an excellent example of a business unit tackling the skills shortage head on’, the judges said, adding that Translink is bringing new recruits into the Northern Irish rail sector and giving them clear development routes.

Diversity, communications, youth

The UK rail sector is wo…