13-05-2010

FirstGroup is to sponsor the newly introduced Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s RailStaff Awards. The new category has been introduced following representations from railway staff across the industry. ‘We know many nominations come in simply thanking good team members and long serving railways staff for all they have done down a number of years,’ says editor Andy Milne. ‘We feel it is important to recognise this phenomena in its own right.

FirstGroup is Britain's largest rail operator carrying over 280 million passengers per annum. FirstGroup runs regional and commuter services and open access, light rail and freight operations as well as high speed inter-city trains and overnight sleepers – everything from local branch line stopping services to long distance express trains.

Says Tom O’Connor, managing director of the Rail Media Group, which organises the RailStaff Awards, ‘We are delighted that FirstGroup has agreed to sponsor the Lifetime Achievement Award.  One often unremarked advantage of the rail industry is the tenacity and staying power of long serving members of staff. The accumulated knowledge and skills of rail staff is difficult to evaluate but it is another reason why millions of people can travel in safety and comfort arriving at their destination on time – what other transport medium can make such bold claims?’

Says Sir Moir Lockhead OBE, ‘At FirstGroup we have many staff members who have served the rail industry faithfully over many years.  It is the staff who crew our trains, sell tickets, operate signals and build and maintain trains and track who are the real heroes of the industry.  We are delighted an award has been introduced recognising the good work of people who invest their careers in this industry.’