The RailStaff Awards 2024

Dan Reilly

Atkins, part of the SNC Lavalin Group

Previous Next Nominate

Aiden Bradley

Said the following about Dan Reilly:

“Dan Reilly has worked with Atkins for five years as a system testing engineer.

Dan’s commitment and willingness to embrace new and emerging technology alongside system testing practices, makes him an outstanding employee and candidate for the engineer of the year RailStaff Award.

Dan has been heavily involved with the Atkins project, Feltham stage 0 (Shepperton), which involved the introduction of future signalling systems - one of Atkins most ambitious programmes, delivering a next generation, digital signalling interlocking system onto the UK’s mainline railway - the system that safeguards against train collision and derailments.

An entirely new approach was needed on this project. Dan played a key role in grasping and helping to develop a highly deployable and wide range of innovative tools through the Atkins Signalling Method (ASM). Dan was pivotal in pulling the Telecoms, Systems, and Signalling teams together to form an integrated and converged technology delivery team, setting the standard for our future organisational structure.

In doing so, broadening Atkins collective knowledge on electronic systems and stepping up well above his day-to-day role. By taking the lead with onsite deployment, Dan worked closely throughout the development process. He continually fed back, providing key insights to the project team and client, boosting confidence in the programme. By applying his own expertise and engineering skills, Dan was able to apply his knowledge and help Atkins to push the project to new limits.

Dan is a key member of the team, whilst collaborating across the wider future signalling system community, helping him, and others to grow. He always remains calm under pressure, while keeping those around him focused. When put into different situations on projects (Including with senior members of staff), Dan quickly adapts and takes on more of an advisory role, updating on progress and providing solutions to problems. Dan always demonstrates high levels of integrity and innovating thinking. He is pleasant to speak with, concise in delivery and a creative thinker.

Dan has the skill to see someone struggling and take them under his wing - in one such case it was a new starter to the company. Even at this busy time, Dan placed “safety first” and volunteered to be a Mental Health First Aider.

Dan was a key influencer in driving the onsite project to success, pushing through technical difficulties to ultimately improve the project and help its successful commissioning. After almost a decade of development, the team’s own growth and knowledge of future signalling systems by Atkins were key to its success – Dan’s own journey has played a key role; he choose to ‘step up’ for the five weeks leading up to the commissioning, the project’s most critical time, to take the lead onsite when his manager was unable to provide the necessary support.

Dan was an early adopter, quickly seeing the advantages that future signalling systems could offer the client in terms of cost savings and improved reliability. He is an ambassador, leading in demonstrating the key system features, providing the client with confidence.

Dan is the embodiment of the behaviours needed to successfully deliver projects; he is an example not only to the rest of the Atkins team and the wider business, but to the wider industry; showing the power of embracing challenges and growth.

It is testament to Dan’s personality and communication skills that he has raised his profile and come to the attention of the senior team due to his conduct across projects and throughout his career.“