The Department for Transport, Scottish Government, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Mayor of London, British Transport Police ALL pay their respects by video to National Rail Award Winners

– and ALL railway men and women – in crisis year

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a heartfelt personal tribute by video to the UK’s ‘railway family’ during last night’s National Rail Awards 2020, which for the first time in their 21 year history, were re-modelled as a virtual ceremony due to the pandemic.

RAIL magazine’s annual National Rail Awards, known as the industry’s ‘Oscars’, were hosted by BBC news anchor and broadcaster Huw Edwards and RAIL magazine’s Managing Editor and Events Director Nigel Harris.  They honour and engage the UK’s rail community and celebrate the industry’s gold standard.  This year’s class of finalists and winners including, behind-the-scenes heroes, judges, category sponsors, frontline staff and passengers, were all highly praised more than ever, for getting the country moving again, in what has been an unprecedented year of disrupted travel during the worst crisis in living memory caused by the pandemic.

The National Rail Awards, headline sponsored by Angel Trains, have always been held as a physical event, but due to the Covid crisis were brought into the digital world, and alongside Boris Johnson, politicians and dignitaries who also paid their respect and thanks for the exceptional contribution made in the face of adversity, by video included: 

Andy Byford, Transport Commissioner Transport for London; Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester; Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London; Paul Crowther, Chief Constable British Transport Police; Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State for Transport; Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair Network Rail; Polly Payne, Director General Department for Transport; Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Secretary Department for Transport; Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity; Anthony Smith, Chief Executive Transport Focus; Andrew Haines, Chief Executive Network Rail; Alex Hynes, Managing Director, Scotland’s Railway; Mark Phillips, Chief Executive RSSB; Jim McMahon, Shadow Transport Secretary, Labour; Bill Reeve, Director of Rail, Transport Scotland; David Horne, Managing Director LNER; Michael Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Angel Trains; Steve White, Chief Operating Officer, Govia Thameslink Railway; Matthew Galton, Interim Managing Director, Great Western Railway;  Ian Prosser CBE, HMRI Chief Inspector of Railways, ORR;

Clips of tributes all available to view HERE https://we.tl/t-YHO7iWZyXm

Bauer Media’s RAIL is the voice of the rail industry, and is the market-leading modern railway magazine, which has an outstanding website and event portfolio, bringing its audience breaking news as well as unrivalled opinion and insight.  

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Union, and Minister for the Civil Service, commented during the virtual ceremony:

“Hi Folks,  I’m delighted to be speaking to you at this virtual National Rail Awards and I want to congratulate you all for your heroic efforts to keep our country moving during the lockdown.  If we needed any more proof that our railways are full of brilliant and determined individuals then just look at the way the rail industry has risen to the challenge of this crisis.  At the same time advancing this mission to increase capacity, while keeping people safe with everything from one way systems, deep cleaning, encouraging people to wear face coverings of course, an outstanding feat the like of which has never been undertaken before.  At the same time you’ve been getting on with essential maintenance pushing ahead with all the big projects, moving goods around the country, keeping a vital service running for all the doctors, nurses, social care workers, shop workers – everybody who physically had to get on with their jobs.  So, I want to say a huge thank you, and a heartfelt thank you, to the entire railway family.”

Nigel Harris, RAIL’s Managing Editor and Events Director, commented:

“During the pandemic, our railwaymen and women made sure that essential workers, medicines and crucial supplies were all where they needed to be, month after month – not once was the country let down by this amazing workforce.”

“Railways isn’t what these people do – it’s what they are – and they just got on with it. They deserve the nation’s thanks and it’s great that the PM took time out to offer such sincere appreciation.”  

RAIL Magazine’s National Rail Awards 2020 Winners:

The Awards judging process is uniquely rigorous in the industry and the panel of more than 20 esteemed judges carry out hundreds of interviews and visits before arriving at their final decisions. This year, that challenge was no mean feat.

All winners receive the iconic and coveted National Rail Award trophy modelled on an actual slice of rail track and made by British Steel.   

RAIL magazine is published by the UK’s biggest selling magazine publisher Bauer Media, which creates iconic and influential magazine media brands, digital properties and associated consumer and B2B live events for diverse, passionate audiences.

The National Rail Awards 2020 full ceremony can be viewed online HERE:  https://nra2020.co.uk 

The National Rail Awards Judges:

https://awards.railbusinessevents.co.uk/judges/awards-judges

https://awards.railbusinessevents.co.uk/judges/yrp-judges

ENDS

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