Hailey Giblin

Said the following about James Donnelly:

“RAIL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – JIM DONNELLY

Jim Donnelly is Lumo’s most valued Rolling Stock Engineer. He is an expert in his field and joined Lumo only a year and half ago, after a four-year stint as a Senior Production Manager at Hitachi Rail Limited.

Jim holds a wealth of knowledge and experience, but it is his willingness to share this amongst the wider team that makes him stand tall above the rest. He is committed to driving the success of Lumo and selflessly dedicates his time to help educate everyone around him.

Impact on the business

As a Rolling Stock Engineer Jim exceeds in his day-to-day responsibilities. The team around him know that train maintenance and repair plans are in the safest pair of hands with Jim on-board.

Jim always goes the extra mile, continuously riding units around the network, engaging with Customer Service Ambassadors and customers, and seeking out opportunities to boost and improve Lumo as a business.

Key successes

In its first year of service, Lumo faced a pivotal challenge – the volume of luggage onboard was causing obstructions in carriages. Jim revealed that this was a top priority for his colleagues and customers alike, and so he not only proactively informed the leadership team about the issue, but also came to them with a solution.

Jim took the initiative and led the way. He provided a short-term solution and transformed seating into additional luggage space. He did not stop there and went on to play an instrumental part in a team that created a long-term solution that we’ll be introducing in the near future. Jim has a natural way of communicating with all members of the Lumo team and has constantly welcomed feedback, working seamlessly and collaboratively with the wider team to make sure we are offering the best possible experience on our trains for our customers.

Team gratitude

Jim’s team shared their thoughts, saying that, ‘Jim works tirelessly to look after the Lumo fleet, and I think flies under the radar in for just how integral to our operation that he is. I have lost count of the number of cancellations to services we could have had if it wasn't for Jim finding solutions and pushing Hitachi when necessary. He really does treat the trains like his babies and has been guilty of driving to the depot on a weekend to go and make sure an issue has been sorted. Jim is always happy to field questions from the crew and other office staff and will bend over backwards to resolve issues and is additionally just a great personality to have in the team.’

Another added that “Jim’s our Unsung Hero - I think he flies under the radar just how many times trains would have been cancelled until he has intervened. It is so noticeable when he is missing, and we are so lucky to have Jim in the Lumo team.”“