Representatives from across the rail industry celebrated last night (Thursday 27 November) at the RailStaff Awards 2025.

Held at Birmingham’s NEC, the event shines a spotlight on the people whose dedication keeps the railway running. Rail managers, customer service assistants, apprentices, training managers and many more were there, reflecting the industry’s wide range of skills and roles.

Bursting with excitement, pride, and celebration, the RailStaff Awards is more than a glittering ceremony. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the people who keep Britain’s railways running – the everyday heroes whose dedication, compassion, and professionalism make the industry what it is.

Always a spectacular event, this year was no different with attendees transported to a welcoming winter wonderland. On arrival, guests stepped into a snow-dusted Alpine village high in the mountains, where an end-of-season après ski party was in full swing. The ceremony was attended by an unprecedented 1,062 guests and attracted a record 855 nominations and 6,050 votes cast.

Broadcaster, journalist, and former politician Michael Portillo led the celebrations, putting guests at ease with warmth, wit, and unmistakable flair. Michael rose to prominence as a cabinet minister in the 1980s and 1990s, before embarking on a hugely successful broadcasting career. His deep-rooted passion for trains has taken him across the globe as the presenter of hit series including Great British Railway Journeys, Great Continental Railway Journeys, and Great American Railroad Journeys. He was a superb choice of host for the night’s proceedings.

After a fabulous dining experience and with each award winner named, the celebrations truly began, with fairground rides whirring into life and the dance floor welcoming anyone with the energy to dance the night way. Following a much-needed midnight breakfast, the evening drew to a close and guests made their way into the night to continue their celebrations. Once again, the event proved a huge success.

Adam O’Connor, managing director of Rail Media, said: “The RailStaff Awards is a one-of-a-kind occasion, shining a light on the people in our industry who continually go above and beyond. It is inspiring and humbling to organise this event, and it’s a privilege to see the positive impact it has on our remarkable workforce. Every winner and highly commended individual deserves real recognition, as do all the finalists and nominees.

My sincere thanks go to our sponsors and supporters, whose backing makes this special evening possible. I’d like to thank our panel of judges and the entire Rail Media team for their outstanding work in bringing this memorable event together.”

Thank you

The RailStaff Awards depends on the support of many dedicated people and groups. We’re grateful to everyone who acknowledged their colleagues’ achievements and submitted nominations. Our thanks also go to the judges, to all who voted, and to everyone who joined us at the ceremony.

Special thanks go to our category sponsors: Alstom, BTTC, Carlisle Support Services, Freightliner Group, GeoAccess, GTR, HALOS, Body Cameras, Henderson & Taylor, Hitachi, LNER, Readypower, ResponSec Ltd, Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, Telent, and Train’d Up.

And our gold sponsors: Amulet and Vertiv.

The winners of the 2025 RailStaff Awards are:

Apprentice of the Year Award

Winner: Rohan Mannion, Hitachi Rail

Highly Commended: Keelie Hall, LNER and Mia Sandham, AtkinsRéalis

Graduate of the Year Award

Winner: Yasha Siddiqui, Alstom

Highly Commended: Hana Muddasir, Heathrow Express and Oliver Ensor, Network Rail

HR & Recruitment Team or Person Award

Winner: Deborah Birch, Hull Trains

Highly Commended: Capability and Skills Development Team, Network Rail and Lindsay Gauntlett, Lumo

Railway Depot Team or Person Award

Winner: Jack Farley, Great Western Railway

Highly Commended: Hannah Butler, GTR and Jodie Lund, Katherine Braybrook, Rebecca Jacobs, GTR

Safety Team or Person Award

Winner: Paula Hilliard, Network Rail

Highly Commended: Chris Cunningham, Merseyrail and TfW Trauma Training Team, Transport for Wales

Health & Welbeing Team or Person Award

Winner: Colleen Johnston, Arriva Rail London

Highly Commended: Louise Williams, Hitachi Rail and Lucy Fawkes-Grey and Lee Bladen, Great Western Railway

Rail Manager of the Year Award

Winner: Richard Tandy, GTR

Highly Commended: Nathan Sobers, Chiltern Railways and Sheree Whetren, South Western Railway

Lifesaver Award

Winner: Dorothy Omovbude, Carlisle Support Services

Highly Commended: Daniel Cook, Southeastern and Hugh Irvine, Amey Rail

Project Team or Person Award (Under £5 Million)

Winner: The Greatest Gathering, Alstom

Highly Commended: George Barratt, Network Rail and James Allman-Wright, Network Rail

Project Team or Person Award (Over £5 Million)

Winner: Westbury South Renewal Team, South Rail Systems Alliance

Highly Commended: Diamond Rail Services and Hitachi and Julie Williams, Alstom

Charity Award

Winner: Dave Bateson, Network Rail

Highly Commended: Aidan Courts, AtkinsRéalis and Tracey Cheung, Amulet

Sustainability Champion of the Year Award

Winner: Advanced Hydrogen Technology (AHT), K2C Rail, RSK 1stinrail, DB-ESG, HNRC-Swietelsky

Highly Commended: Quattro Sustainability Team, Quattro Plant and Riona Ainge, Systra

Learning, Development & Investing in People Award

Winner: Mark & Natalie, Transport for Wales

Highly Commended: Chris Davey, Transport for Wales and Jack Gookey, Network Rail

Customer Service Team or Person Award

Winner: Customer Relations Team, Grand Central

Highly Commended: Laura Holmes, Southeastern and Ollie Ivan, South Western Railway

Station Staff Team or Person Award

Winner: Emma-Jane Kennedy, Great Western Railway

Highly Commended: Keeley Rees and Shola Ola, Carlisle Support Services and Susan Temple & Janice Povah, ScotRail

Innovation & Technology Team or Person Award

Winner: Southern Safer Isolations Team, Network Rail

Highly Commended: Checkpoint Authority App Team, Network Rail / Jacobs and Nathan Sealy, Amey

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Team or Person Award

Winner: Charlotte Briers, Alstom

Highly Commended: Armed Forces Employee Network, Northern and ManKind, LNER

Rail Engineer of the Year Award

Winner: Mark Walsh, Hitachi Rail

Highly Commended: Bartosz Gapsa, AECOM and Robbie Mecrow, Morson Praxis

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Tim Shoveller, Freightliner

Highly Commended: Alison Thompson, Amey and Steve Wardle, South Western Railway

Rail Ambassador of the Year Award

Winner: Maro Sakpere, GTR

Highly Commended: Camille Parchment, Avanti West Coast and Gregory March, Network Rail

Over the coming days, keep a look out for official event pictures and 2026 at www.RailStaffAwards.com