BRUNEL SPIRIT ALIVE IN BRISTOL

Monday 18 Sep 2006

BRUNEL SPIRIT ALIVE IN BRISTOL

Region & Route:: | Wales & Western: Wales & Borders; | Wales & Western: Western; | Wales & Western

The proud railway heritage of the West Country continues as the first winner of the “Young Railway Person of the Year” award was revealed at the re-creation of the Royal Banquet of 1843 that launched the SS Great Britain in Bristol. Christopher Jackson, who is 26, and the local operations manager for Network Rail, fought off stiff competition to win the prestigious new award, which looks for the Brunels of the future. Chris oversaw the integration of the signalling centre with control in York and has already been instrumental in reducing delays. Neil Henry, area general manager for the York area who nominated Chris said: “He has a ‘can do, will do’ attitude, which delights our customers and staff alike. He demonstrates excellence in every aspect of his role, his enthusiasm has been infectious and his dependability and assistance to colleagues has been first class. “Chris introduced target delays and regulating for the first time into York. This generated much more focus on delays caused by York and these are now at record low levels.” It was not just Chris’s colleagues within Network Rail who singled him out for praise. In his nomination, Chris Loder from the Institution of Railway Operators described him as: “a safety-conscious and professional manager, radiant with enthusiasm for culture change.” Chris was presented with the award at a Brunel Banquet in Bristol on 15 September. After receiving his award he said: “It was great to be nominated and I was over the moon to get to the final three so this is a real bonus. It’s made all the hard work worthwhile.” The award is just one of the many initiatives linked to the 200th anniversary celebrations of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Network Rail has the unique honour of safeguarding much of Brunel’s legacy, including his drawings and structures.

Notes to editors

The three finalists were chosen by a panel of industry experts from across the businesses. Emma Bulmer, mobile operations manager in Luton, also made it to the final three. Nominees had to be 30 or under on 1 September 2006 and came from any part of the railway industry. They all demonstrated the following attributes: VALUES: Dependability; excellence; integrity; safety; self-confidence BEHAVIOURS: Can do, will do; enthusiasm; pride; teamwork

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