CIRO Celebrates Award-Winninng Area Council Volunteers
This year’ s Golden Whistle Awards shone a spotlight on several of CIRO’ s exceptional Area Council volunteers, recognising their dedication to operational excellence across the railway industry.
Outstanding Individual
A prestigious Gold Award was presented to James Dobson( Avanti West Coast), our newest Midlands Area Council recruit, recognising his exceptional dedication and impact.
Outstanding Team
The Silver Award went to the N & E Route Stockton and Darlington Anniversary Team for delivering the iconic Stockton & Darlington Loco No. 1 event with Nick Edwards( DB Cargo), South West & Wales Area Council Chair, playing a key role.
Outstanding Intervention
Highly Commended Barry McLaughlin( Network Rail) and Scottish Area Council Member was celebrated for his impressive work during January’ s heavy snowfall.
Special Award – The Greatest Gathering
Congratulations to Bronnie Clarke & James Dobson from the Midlands Area Council who collected the special award as part of The Greatest Gathering organising team.
Bronnie( Network Rail) and Midlands Area Council Chair with her team expertly managed complex operational planning while keeping scheduled services running smoothly, and James’ inspirational idea and hands-on contribution helped bring The Greatest Gathering to life as part of the Railway 200 celebrations.
Representing their organisations, Andrew Harper( Transport Scotland) and Scottish Area Chair, Jason Wade( Northern) CIRO Board Member and North East Council Member, and Nick Edwards also took to the stage to collect awards.
A big thank-you to Glen Merryman and the South East Area Council, for their hard work and analysis in making the 2026 Golden Whistle Awards a resounding success.
Congratulations also to all the winners and nominees and you can view the full list of winners on our website. www. ciro. org
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