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Tuesday 22 Jun 2010

ARMED FORCES SURRENDER TO NETWORK RAIL

Region & Route:

National

Who’s tougher? The Army, Air Force or Navy? None of them – it’s Network Rail. So proved our apprentices in the annual Junior Leaders Field Gun Competition, held at HMS Collingwood in Gosport, Hampshire.

In the ultimate battle of strength, endurance, speed, accuracy and team work, Network Rail apprentices forced the armed services to surrender. Fending off the strength of all three military services our apprentices claimed victory for the second year running.

The competition is open to those aged 16-25, with each crew of 18 required to run, dismantle, reassemble and fire the antique 12-pounder field gun – equivalent in weight to a small car – in the shortest possible time. The Network Rail team gunned down 15 other teams from the three military services and other organisations.

Network Rail entered three teams in the competition. One was made up of the class of 2006 who are all now working full-time within the company. The two other teams comprised apprentices currently studying at HMS Sultan and it was one of these teams that won the battle with an impressive time of one minute 21seconds. The second apprentice team came in forth place meanwhile the ‘old boys’ won the runners up Plate competition.

Bill Alexander, national apprentice manager said: “Once again our apprentices have done us proud. It shows they are really well drilled and of the highest calibre. In the definitive test of teamwork their dedication and grueling training regime has really paid off.”