The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Rail Engineer of the Year

Tapas Haldar

Said the following about Mark Banham:

“Mark is an enterprising young civil engineer working within Network Rail Northern Programmes of Infrastructure Projects (IPNP). He has been on a mission to drive continuous improvement in his area of engineering, temporary works management and quality assurance management for any railway project. He has been exemplary in his behaviours, building collaborative relationships and always looks to constructively challenge when the opportunity exists. Mark has gone above and beyond his area of responsibility to support a complex programme of platform extensions in order to bring efficiencies. He is a true competitor for “Rail Engineer of the Year” category of the award.

Mark Banham graduated from the University of Nottingham with a first-class honour Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. His professional career started with Laing O’Rourke where he gained experienced delivering a variety of different projects. To broaden his experience, Mark travelled to Australia where he was involved in the delivery of a train support facility scheme. He later returned to Laing O’Rourke in the UK working on the Staffordshire Alliance where he excelled in demonstrating the pure Alliance values and led a successful team to deliver the Norton Bridge Ancillary Civil Engineering works.

In 2016 Mark joined the Network Rail IPNP-Enhancement team where he has taken the lead on the complex and critical issue of managing temporary works. He has displayed great foresight in identifying potential issues at the earliest possible opportunity and working with the supply chain to deliver efficient solutions. During the short time since joining Network Rail Mark has developed from a competent civil engineer into a passionate rail engineer with a comprehensive understanding and general interest in the complexities of how the railway operates.

Mark’s ability to think beyond his role and the consideration of the whole system and lifecycle enabled his move into the designated project engineer (engineering manager) role for a Platform Extensions scheme. This transition allowed him the opportunity to lead a team of engineers. Together with the wider project team, Mark maximised value, challenged when possible and ensured efficiencies were released. Mark’s approach led to the effective delivery of 73 out of 120 platforms extension over LNE and LNW routes for this time table critical project enabling the successful timetable implementation and demonstrates his future potential to go on to lead large scale complex engineering rail projects.

Due to his passion, enthusiasm and attention to detail, Mark quickly identify issues around the quality assurance activities that were experienced when delivering rail projects. In addition to his day to day role Mark has been proactive by initiating, developing and implementing an audit programme to highlight and understand these issues. Following this, he presented the findings to the senior leaders within IPNP and was instrumental in the formation of the quality task force where he provides expert engineering and construction leadership to address issues and make further improvements. His dedication to developing the quality process was recognised by Network Rail Infrastructure Projects and resulted in an update to the quality process across Network Rail.

Mark has been recognised as a key talent within Network Rail and has been selected for an accelerated development scheme.

Mark is a natural team player, is approachable, inquisitive and eager to learn from his peers. He constantly seeking to collaborate with supply chain and other stakeholders and easily builds valuable relationships. He is a genuine asset to the rail industry and with his passion to improve, desire to develop and ability to go above and beyond his area of responsibility, certainly puts him to the best place to win this category. I wish him all the success.“