Membership
Golden Whistle Awards 2025 – Nominations Open !
It ’ s that time of year again - CIRO are now welcoming nominations on behalf of the Golden Whistle Awards 2025 for the Outstanding Operator / Operating Team category .
CIRO ’ s South East Area Council , who organise and judge this category , are eagerly anticipating your nominations of outstanding individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond expectation . If you know a person or team who have excelled in 2024 then you can nominate them by completing the nomination form . Access the form by scanning the QR code ; by visiting the CIRO website ciro . org ; or typing the following link into your browser :
https :// forms . office . com / e / jH3uXeD1c8
It is essential to give details of why the nominee has excelled and gone above and beyond to give them the best chance . Please complete the nomination form by the end of the year .
The Golden Whistle Awards will take place on 7th March at the Marriott Grosvenor Square , London , with host Dick Fearn , formerly CEO , Irish Rail .
For further information about the event and tickets , please visit the Modern Railways website : www . modernrailways . com / events
Nominations close on 10th January 2025 . Good luck to all those nominated !
Rail Ops 2024 Conference Review
The Rail Ops 2024 conference , held virtually on the 4th of June , once again proved to be a landmark event in the railway operations sector . With a diverse range of speakers and a wide array of engaging topics , the event offered attendees invaluable insights into key areas of rail operations , while enhancing their Continuing Professional Development ( CPD ).
This year ’ s theme , “ Performance Excellence in Rail ”, was at the heart of all discussions , focusing on what excellence means across various roles within rail operations . Speakers explored what performance excellence looks like in practice , from high-level operational planning to front-line customer service and safety measures , and how future innovations will help us achieve these goals .
Topics ranged from operational planning and resilience to customer service delivery , revenue protection , and emerging technologies such as AI in timetabling and predictive maintenance . These varied presentations provided attendees with a comprehensive understanding of what performance excellence means for the entire industry — from strategic planning to day-to-day operations .
The Rail Ops conference remains dedicated to enhancing the CPD of its attendees , offering railway professionals a platform to acquire new skills , knowledge , and insights each year . This year ’ s event introduced new interactive features , including specialist drop-in workshops and networking sessions , which provided attendees with the chance to ask questions , engage with experts , and explore how CIRO ’ s
educational offerings can support their career development .
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who attended this year ’ s conference and to CIRO ’ s corporate members , whose continued support allows us to host events like the Rail Ops Conference free of charge for the industry . We greatly appreciate your engagement and contributions to making this event a success . If you weren ’ t able to attend on the day , you can catch up ‘ On Demand ’ at https :// www . ciro . org / rail-ops-video-collection /
Mark your calendars for next year ’ s conference in early June , and keep an eye out for promotional communications from CIRO in the new year with further details . We look forward to welcoming you again in 2025 !
The speaker line-up featured an array of industry leaders :
Annette Shipley , Chief Executive Office of CIRO , who opened the event with a welcome address .
Tim Shoveller , CEO of G & W UK / Europe Region ( Freightliner ), who shared insights on freight operations and the challenges facing the industry .
Alex Hynes , Director General of Rail Services , who emphasised the importance of leadership in driving performance .
James Adeshiyan , Head of Stations ( Customer Service Delivery ) at GWR , who focused on achieving excellence in customer service .
Kim Bucknell , Head of Revenue Protection at Greater Anglia , who discussed best practices in revenue management .
Brian Haddock , Head of Seasonal and Weather Resilience at Network Rail , who highlighted the importance of weather preparedness in achieving operational excellence .
Chris Curtis , Operations Director for Wales & Borders at Network Rail , who provided an in-depth look into network performance management .
Stephen Billett , Consultant at Siemens , along with Stephen Martinez-Hill , Lead Control Systems Engineer at Siemens , who explored the critical role of technology and control systems in rail operations .
Jim Meade , Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann , who offered insights into operational efficiency .
14 www . ciro . org