Craig Fletcher

Said the following about Bob Dunn:

“The team executed a collaborative and engaging communications plan during a four-month closure of the Conwy Valley railway line, following extreme flood damage, earlier this year. The plan was proactive, creative, engaging and ensured passengers and lineside neighbours were at the heart of all the messaging and kept informed at every stage of the project.

The team successfully brought together the project team, engineers, contractors, key stakeholders and industry partners, to successfully deliver the plan through close partnership working.

The comprehensive communications plan included engagement through a series of drop-in events, engaging with the local community, attended also by local political figures, to proactively keep them fully updated on the damage and ongoing repairs to the line.

Local and national media were engaged through facilitating a host of media interviews and securing print and digital media coverage. The team also produced three videos which were utilised on social media channels, including drone footage of the line.

Six press releases were issued bilingually to the local and national media, as well as on Network Rail’s website and intranet, and all communications and collateral were produced bilingually throughout the project.

To celebrate the reopening of the line ahead of the National Eisteddfod - an event that has great cultural and political significance to Wales - which was being hosted locally in Llanrwst, a town located on the Conwy Valley line, the team also organised and hosted a steam train trip.

Key stakeholders and partners, colleagues from Network Rail who worked on the restoration of the line and members of the local community were all invited to mark the line reopening, to thank them and host an enjoyable day for the local community and rail enthusiasts after months of being without the railway line.

The team offered volunteering opportunities to colleagues across the route to steward on the day, publicised the event in the internal newsletter and on the office digital screens, and resulted in a wide range of colleagues from north and south Wales taking part in the trip. Memorabilia tickets were also produced for guests.

The team worked with Ffestiniog Heritage Railways to organise an additional trip for guests on the narrow-gauge railway once they arrived at Blaenau Ffestiniog. The team executed a very proactive internal plan across the organisations internal channels sharing the updates and progress to colleagues and senior leaders across the route.

Robert started his career in 1975 at Saltley as a traction trainee and began his MP12 course in September 1979. From there he learnt 10 traction types in four years.

This thirst of traction knowledge and understanding developed early in his career progressed his passion for traction understanding and ultimately teaching.

The wealth and variety of traction training instilled a curiosity into understanding the way traction works to deliver a drive to the best of your ability.

Transferring to Wolverhampton depot in 1990 and becoming an Instructor Driver in 1993 Robert started to deliver some of the finest traction training with new Drivers. Always one to go out of his way to give an understanding that meets the trainees needs, Robert would start collating the information from his training to produce high quality training material for others. This was delivered to other depots and Robert soon had the reputation of the go to Instructor for any traction specific queries.

Four years later in 2002 Robert sat with the Company Council and Virgin Management on a Class 390 course to give his insight and wisdom to the training plan, helping shape it for the 550 Drivers that would require training as Virgin West Coast Trains embarked on their implementation of the first Tilting Train in the UK. In July 2017 Robert Dunn passed out on Class 390 and then the rescue engine Class 57 a month after. This is when Robert embarked on also producing the Driver Traction Manual for the Class 390, and soon after the Class 57. Quality publications that are user friendly and detailed to ensure quantified information is always on hand to the Driver and business. Working closely with the Driver Management Team, Fleet and Safety and Standards, Robert has always been held in regard as the go to Instructor for Traction queries. This is extended to Instructors at other depots, the route schools at Preston and London Euston and drivers from across all Virgin west Coast depots. Robert is only a phone call away from answering any burning question someone may have on traction.

Robert's affiliation with RAF 101 Squadron based at Brize Norton has been supported by the business and proved a great asset for Virgin Trains. Reciprocal visits have been managed primarily by Robert and this relationship develops a unique understanding of safety and crew management that is comparable. Learning from the aviation industry and their long-standing use of Non-technical Skills in crew resource management has gained valuable insight into the challenges faced in the introduction of Non-Technical skills into the rail industry and Virgin Trains.

Over the next 16 years Robert has given his valuable knowledge and passion for trains and delivered some outstanding publications and documents that have become a staple of every Virgin Trains West Coast Driver. The Traction Manuals, Bulletin’s, Handbooks and laminated user-friendly reminder cards are produced to a high standard. Robert is a stickler for attention to detail and facts, and this is reflected in the quality of the publications. They are used from the first day a Driver starts their training with Virgin West Coast Trains and carried in the bags of Drivers for reference in times of trouble and knowledge in times of curiosity.

Once the training package was in delivery to Drivers, Robert as well as Instructing on Class 390’s also learnt Willesden to Old Oak Common to deliver the Class 57’s to Great Western railway and in that same year, 2003 helped deliver the Tilt Training on the Class 390’s.

In 2007 when part of the Cross-Country franchise was amalgamated into West Coast, Robert embarked on learning Crewe LNWR depot for delivering the Class 221 static Instructing as well as passing out on Class 221’s for delivering the traction instructing to existing West Coast Drivers.

Furthermore, Robert will answer (to the best of his knowledge) any query someone may have, or be honest enough to say, “leave it with me”, the difference being that you know he will find the answer promptly and deliver it with the understanding to satisfy the question. Traction, routes, rules or company standards, Robert will always deliver on producing a factually accurate answer with understanding. Robert’s high standards are reflected in his Driving, challenging and questioning when things are not right, always wanting the correct information to get to the Driving grade.

Professional, proud and personable, that is what made Robert an asset to the Virgin Trains Driver Team. Robert now embarks on instructing duties on the Severn Valley Railway. Taking the vast knowledge of traction early in his career he now instructs new Drivers on the Severn Valley Railway on Class 50’s in his retirement.“