Sara Carnduff

Said the following about Conor Maton:

“As the 2017 graduate of the year winner, continuing his development and commitment, Conor has recently achieved the prestigious Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) accreditation in routing and switching – one of only a few CCNPs in the rail industry. Passionate about exploring and supporting the industry’s ‘Digital Railway’ programme, Conor is currently involved in two high profile projects, Crossrail SMS & IP WAN and Sandhills & Manchester South Concentrator Renewal. Working towards the programme aspirations to increase capacity, reduce delays, enhance safety and drive down costs, Conor is assisting in defining scopes, addressing integration issues utilising his technical knowledge, collaborating with multiple stakeholders including Network Rail, various Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and other suppliers to provide optimised solutions.

Committed to raising awareness of what the rail industry has to offer and showcasing the various engineering paths people can take, Conor is in the process of becoming an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) mentor.

“Conor has spent the past year working on two high-profile, multi-disciplined projects which have required him to pick up new technologies. For the Crossrail IP WAN project, Conor took the initiative to learn IP Networking in detail, attaining the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certifications. He has willingly passed on this knowledge to the team, helping other engineers to gain their CCNA certification. His collaborative spirit has made a real contribution to his peers and the team as a whole, building networks in every sense of the word!” Mark Warrender, Lead Network Solutions Architect – telent.

Having only completed the telent graduate scheme less than a year ago, Conor is already leading and responsible for the design and deployment of the WAN element of Crossrail, the works he was instrumental in securing whilst a graduate. Involved in various migration meetings and engaging with several stakeholders, Conor is collaborating with Network Rail, Crossrail and the ultimate customer MTR Crossrail to scope and develop a combined beneficial solution using his competence and technical Cisco knowledge to enhance the customer experience, ensuring safe, reliable and high-quality journeys.

Taking on another project in parallel, the Sandhills and Manchester South Concentrator Renewal, Conor is also the Lead Network Engineer responsible for the design of the network and voice solutions which includes the design documentation, drawings and integration resolutions. Having been part of developing the high-level solution, Conor is working closely with the Network Rail Telecoms’ team to scope the detailed design requirements and overcome the integration challenges. Starting the project in March this year, Conor has already established collaborative relationships and is developing an innovative engineering solution, resolving any integration issues to accommodate all the involved stakeholders whilst ensuring the equipment is current and future proofed to meet the requirements of the next generation of railway concentrators.

“Conor has taken the initiative to step in as the lead engineer for an ongoing Voice Concentrator renewal project. The Sandhills and Manchester South Voice Concentrator renewals are complex projects requiring input from other contractors, Network Rail and NRT. Conor has worked hard to enable a truly collaborative team to deliver to date, using his teambuilding skills to bridge the gaps between organisations. The success of both projects will be as a direct result of his hard work and professionalism.” Mark Warrender, Lead Network Solutions Architect – telent

As part of leading live projects, Conor has been involved with a number of stakeholders which has helped him develop his soft skills and management techniques. From guiding customers through complex engineering solutions to providing new graduate engineers and project managers with technical overviews and bringing them up to speed about working on the railway, Conor is not only a highly competent engineer, but also someone colleagues can turn to for help and guidance.

Conor is passionate about engaging the next generation of engineers and is involved in several initiatives to raise awareness and showcase the various engineering paths people can take. Providing advice and answering questions, Conor is involved in the technical assessment for the telent apprentice and graduate days, defining and setting engaging practical assessment activities and is in the process of becoming an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) mentor for the next telent intake.

As well as delivering live engineering solutions, studying to enhance his knowledge and understanding of Cisco (Network Rail’s IP networks vendor of choice) achieving specialised accreditation, working towards the Juniper security qualification and helping others develop, Conor is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Combining his knowledge and experience, Conor has recently submitted his application and supporting evidence for his Incorporated Engineering accreditation with a view to becoming Chartered in a few years’ time.

“Although only completing the telent engineering graduate programme less than year ago, Conor always goes above and beyond, achieving a lot in such a short time, both personally and professionally.

Conor is huge asset to telent and we are honoured to have cultivated such a competent and innovative telecommunications engineer as part of our team. Conor is committed to developing future proof solutions to meet the needs of our industry and the end customer – the travelling public. Passionate about helping others, sharing knowledge, lessons learnt and best practice, Conor is a deserving nominee for the 2018 Rail Staff Awards Engineer of the Year award.” Steve Dalton, Managing Director – Transport, telent.“