GB Railfreight Names Locomotive in Honour of CIRO’ s 25th Anniversary
This May, GB Railfreight( GBRf) and the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators celebrated 25 years of partnership and professional development with a special locomotive naming ceremony.
The event took place at the historic London Waterloo station on 28th May, attended by representatives of CIRO and GB Railfreight, industry press and rail enthusiasts, keen to get a glimpse of the newly named Chartered Institution of Railway Operators’ in all her glory.
This latest honour from GBRf follows a similar recognition in 2008, when Class 66 locomotive 66728 was named‘ Institution of Railway Operators’ to acknowledge CIRO’ s contributions to rail industry training and professional development. At the time,
then-IRO Chief Executive Chris Daughton reflected on the momentous occasion, stating:
“ The locomotive naming demonstrates just how far we have come as an organisation, and we look forward to seeing it in action on the railways.” Since then, CIRO has grown significantly, achieving Chartered status in 2021 and expanding its membership to over 13,000 rail professionals. Its influence in the industry has deepened through a range of education and training initiatives, including apprenticeships, academic programmes, and industry-endorsed learning schemes. Today, CIRO continues to play a pivotal role in upskilling rail professionals and fostering best practices across the sector.
4 CIRO | Bulletin 55