The now annual Light Rail Awards for 2012 took place in London on 3rd October with many of the UK’s light rail system being recognised for their achievements in the past
12 m nths, although once again it would appear that the winner of the coveted “Operator of the Year” wish to remain anonymous as no operator is claiming to have won it! However, both Manchester Metrolink and Nottingham Express Transit were celebrating with a joint award for “Project of the Year”.
Manchester Metrolink were recognised in the “Project of the Year” category for the opening of the extension to Oldham Mumps in June with Nottingham Express Transit jointly winning the award as a result of the awarding of the contract for Phase Two of the system in December 2011.
As well as the joint “Project of the Year” award Manchester Metrolink were also celebrating a number of other awards on the night including the Best Customer Initiative Award for the work of the TfGM Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG) which has enabled the system to become the most accessible form of transport in Greater Manchester. Two individuals were also honoured with Lindsay Moyles from TfGM winning Rising Star of the Year and Metrolink driver minder Ben Rodriguez winning Employee of the Year.
Metrolink were also highly commended in the Most Significant Safety Initiative (stops upgrade programme) and Innovation of the Year (utility diversion programme) with Philip
Purdy, the outgoing TfGM Metrolink Director, receiving a special mention in the Special Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Meanwhile Midland Metro were also celebrating as they took home two awards including the Most Significant Safety Initiative of the Year for the Safer Command Centre. This is described as a pioneering command centre dedicated to the West Midlands transport network and is a joint initiative between Centro, West Midlands Police and the British Transport Police.
Mark Babington, Centro’s safer travel manager, said: “This is a fantastic achievement which really highlights how effective this centre has been since opening earlier this year.
Having three organisations working so closely together under one roof means we are able to share information seamlessly. It is something we had wanted to put in place for a long time and we’re delighted that now it is up and running its success has been recognised with this award.”
Colin Robery, the Operations Manager at Midland Metro, was also celebrating as was given the Outstanding Achievement in the Industry Award. This was in recognition of his
over 40 year service in the transport industry which has included his current position since 1999. He is also director of UK Tram and the Chairman of the Confederation for Passenger Transport, fixed track section.
Away from the operators Bombardier were named as Manufacturer of the Year – the third year in a row that they had won this accolade. In addition they were named as highly commended in the Supplier of the Year category with the judges specifically mentioning the introduction of the Flexity2 trams in Blackpool.
Speaking about the awards Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “These awards are a fantastic validation of the work we are doing to transform the Metrolink network, the way we are doing it and the teams helping us to do it. What we are delivering is on a scale and complexity that is unparalleled in this country, so it’s very gratifying to see that our industry peers feel we are doing a job worthy of such recognition. The DDRG in particular has played a crucial part in making our network as accessible as
possible. Their first-hand experiences have been a vital part of the design and delivery of our new lines, so I’m delighted that their invaluable influence has been recognised in this way. Similarly, the honours bestowed on our colleagues – Philip Purdy, Lindsay Moyles and Ben Rodriguez – were particularly pleasing. I’d like to thank them for their commitment, dedication and desire to do the very best for Metrolink and the people who rely on it day in, day out.”
Officials from Nottingham were also delighted with their award. Roger Harrison, Chairman of Tramlink Nottingham, commented: “We’re delighted that our different and unique approach to funding and developing services has been recognised within the industry. In fact, the project would not have been possible without the vision of the City
Council and its commitment to maintaining its position as one of the least car dependent cities in the UK.”