SWR and GWR royal wedding plans rewarded

Monday 03rd December 2018
  • South Western Railway (SWR) and Great Western Railway (GWR) commended for joint event planning around the royal wedding in May at RailStaff Awards
  • Both operators arranged special services to make the day go without a hitch
  • Bunting and Union Jack flags decorated stations to welcome customers on their arrival to Windsor
  • Windsor and Eton Central station was renamed Harry and Meghan Central
  • Pre-recorded station announcements were made in Mandarin by SWR staff for Chinese visitors
  • The RailStaff Awards has been recognising the extraordinary achievements of rail industry employees since 2007
South Western Railway (SWR) and Great Western Railway (GWR) commended for joint event planning around the royal wedding in May at RailStaff Awards

South Western Railway and Great Western Railway have been commended in the Rail Team of the Year category at the prestigious national RailStaff Awards.

The awards shows appreciation for the people who deliver the railway - from drivers to cleaners, and engineers to station staff.

Alan Penlington, Customer Experience Director for South Western Railway, said:

“The joint SWR and GWR team worked tirelessly, engaging with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Thames Valley Police and many other community partners to make the day an unforgettable success.

“This was the first time we have collaborated for such an event, sharing ideas and producing contingency plans for every eventuality. I am very proud of the team and heartily congratulate them for this accolade.”

Richard Rowland, Customer Service & Transformation Director for Great Western Railway, said:

“The Royal Wedding in Windsor this year was by far the biggest and most high-profile event GWR & SWR have planned for.

“It involved months of meticulous planning culminating in providing over 45,000 customer journeys to and from the event. The team worked collaboratively with Network Rail and British Transport Police to ensure plans were joined up and everything ran smoothly on the day. Well done everyone who made this possible.”

Tim Keen, Deputy Head of Stations for SWR, was also nominated in the Rail Manager of the Year category.

SWR’s Head of stations, Jenny Saunders offered her congratulations, saying:

“Tim has been part of the railway for the past 30 years, first joining as part of Red Star. However, he has grown in ability and confidence every year since then and still can’t quite believe he has made it this far in terms of his career.

“He is a natural born leader who is loved by peers, direct reports and front-line colleagues and many railway managers credit Tim with helping them along the way.

“Tim will take on any challenge with a smile on his face and really loves his job and the people he works with. One thing for certain is that he deserves this nomination. His Dad (a train driver for many years) would have been incredibly proud of him.”

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