The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Rail Person of the Year

Chris Mackie

Said the following about Gary Desmond:

“Gary is the OCR project manager for the Great Eastern & Shenfield to Southend Overhead Line Renewal projects.

Both projects involve the replacement of fixed tension (wire sags when air temperatures rise above 25 degrees resulting into significant disruption to train services) life expired overhead line equipment with a new auto-tensioned overhead line system (approx. 450km of wire) delivered in relatively short engineering blocks - probably Europe's most complicated overhead line project.

He has been instrumental to the successes delivered by OCR over the last 12-months. Gary is safety focused (particularly the importance of robust planning – the proactive underpinning of any safety performance), passionate and has a genuine commitment to high quality, cost effective and timely delivery.

We were particularly delighted with the wiring works undertaken at Gidea Park between Weeks 25-31 and Christmas 2016 (21no. wire runs over 590 possession hours without a reportable accident) and also recently at the completion of the junction at Seven Kings.

The importance of the successful delivery of the works at Gidea Park was key in the context of the programme and realised significant benefits for key stakeholders – no OLE summer speed restrictions for 16km of railway between Seven Kings and Brentwood for the first time in a generation!

Overall, it has been a fantastic year for Gary and he fully deserves every accolade that comes his way.“