This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.
Greater Anglia has installed LED information screens at Norwich which were developed by Black Box to provide clearer additional information about train departures and arrivals, as well as details of nearby bus departures. The screens are made up of LED display tiles with 1·5 mm pixels, and provide information on both sides of the gateline so that arriving passengers can see information about onward connections by train or bus. The system is designed to support British Sign Language and animated visuals.
On July 23 Jeremy Pilkington, Chairman of equipment rental company Vp, said ‘rail activity levels continue to be subdued, particularly in relation to Network Rail’s CP7’.
Southeastern’s Customer & Community Improvement Fund is providing a £49 500 grant to the Missing People charity to support people in crisis on the railway. Southeastern said stations are often critical points where people in distress seek help, with Missing People receiving on average three calls a day from people in distress at stations or on trains. The project will include staff training, an awareness campaign and help to vulnerable individuals.
Bidvest Noonan has retained its cleaning services contract with Translink, and added catering support and consumable supplies. ‘We’re seeing real momentum in bundled and integrated solutions as more organisations look to manage costs, reduce complexity and improve outcomes’, said David Barker, Chief Growth Officer at Bidvest Noonan.
Lumo and Hull Trains have achieved ServiceMark Accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service. ‘Both operators have demonstrated a clear focus on providing a strong service offering, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement’, said ICS Chief Executive Jo Causon.
The Ministry of Defence has presented Northern with the Gold Employer Recognition Scheme award for its commitment to employing people who have previously worked in the military or currently serve as reservists. ‘People who have served in the military have so much to offer and that’s why we encourage them to consider joining the railway and becoming part of another close-knit team’, said Northern’s Managing Director Tricia Williams.
TransPennine Express and Network Rail partnered with Women in Rail to organise a two-week ‘Never Mind the Gap’ programme of training and work placements for women who spent time away from the workplace. This included using a virtual reality simulator at TPE’s Ardwick depot and touring Manchester Piccadilly station to see what it would be like to work there. The group also took part in workshops on interview skills and CV writing.