Northern engineer wins 'Railway Oscar' for helping dozens of young people get started in their careers
A man who has given dozens of young people the chance to forge a career in engineering said he is “absolutely blown away” after winning an award at the 'Railway Oscars'.
Rob Brown, an onboard systems service technician who works for Northern, was announced as the winner in the Outstanding Personal Contribution (Frontline) category at the National Rail Awards last night.
Hundreds of people from across the rail industry attended the awards ceremony in London, to see television presenter Julia Bradbury present more than 20 awards.
Rob, who lives in Thorne in South Yorkshire, was commended by the judges for his commitment to developing the next generation of railway engineers, as each year he spends more than 300 hours creating and delivering industry placements for T Level students.
“I’m absolutely blown away to have received such a huge honour at the National Rail Awards,” said Rob.
“To be recognised in this way is incredibly humbling, and it means more than I can put into words.
“I’m incredibly proud to work in the rail industry and to have the opportunity to make a difference, support others and contribute to something bigger than myself.
“Awards like this are never achieved alone and I’m grateful to my team who have supported me - Nikki Rutter and Marc Silverwood in particular - and allowed me to do this work."
Daniel Halfpenny, a conductor based in Manchester, received a highly commended recognition in the same category, after acting calm under pressure to help passengers during a series of challenging incidents.
Over two months, he helped a woman who was being harassed, helped a vulnerable young person get back to their carers, provided assistance to a person experiencing a diabetic episode and supported passengers following a fatality on the railway.
Northern’s redevelopment of Lea Green station in Merseyside was highly commended in the Environmental Excellence category of the awards, which are run by RAIL Magazine.
The £10 million upgrade was completed last summer, providing passengers with a new multi-storey car park and station building, that contains a ticket office, waiting room and toilets.
Tricia Williams, Managing Director of Northern, said: “Rob and Daniel are a real credit to Northern and thoroughly deserve this recognition. We’re incredibly proud of their professionalism and dedication.
“They are among a brilliant group of Northern colleagues, stations and projects who were shortlisted at this year’s awards.”
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.