The world’s leading tram operator was recognised for its outstanding achievements in UK customer service and network operations.
Global transport operator Keolis businesses were the big winners of the night at this year’s prestigious Global Light Rail Awards held in London this week, with wins in five leading categories.
Its KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD) business scooped the top prize of ‘Operator of the Year’, impressing the judges with its consistently excellent operation of London’s Dockland Light Railway and in particular achieving record-breaking on-time departure rates of 99.6 per cent.
KAD also won big in the ‘Best Customer Initiative’ category with recognition of its successful DLR Discovery trips across its network, which involved running private train tours to highlight the history and connectivity of the service and proved a major hit with enthusiasts.
In addition, the Keolis-operated Nottingham Express Transit tram network was recognised as the ‘Most Improved System’, following the success of a series of initiatives to improve customer services, particularly via social media.
It was also a night of success for Keolis employees. Steve Mabey, head of operations at KeolisAmey Metrolink KAM), who won the accolade of the industry’s ‘Rising Star’. This was for his leadership in the aftermath of a suspected terrorist incident that closed Manchester Victoria station’s two tram lines on the night of New Year’s Eve.
KAM’s tram driver Jan Svacina also took home the Judge’s Special Award for his courage and selflessness following an incident on Manchester’s tram network. He was instrumental in stopping three youths beating a man on a tram platform in Oldham. His actions led the three attackers to flee while emergency services were on their way, saving the man’s life.
Alistair Gordon, CEO of Keolis UK, said: “We are exceptionally proud of the achievements of our teams from across the Keolis family, with these awards a real testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of our teams.
“These wins are also a reflection of our expertise as an operator. Keolis currently delivers one out of every two light rail journeys in the UK and is leading the way in delivering world-class networks that offer speed, convenience and reliability to passengers. We’re pleased that our work to deliver service excellence across all of our businesses has been recognised at the Light Rail Awards.”
The Global Light Rail Awards is the industry’s flagship celebration of innovation and excellence. It recognises the most outstanding projects and products from across the light rail industry, as well as best practice in customer service, from the last 12 months.
In addition to its five wins, Keolis was also highly commended in the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year’ (Keolis Dijon), ‘Environmental & Sustainability Initiative’ (KAM), ‘Vision of the Year’ (KAM) and ‘Best Customer Initiative’ (Keolis Dijon) categories.
Keolis is a global passenger transport business and a leader in integrated networks, with a 20-year track record at the forefront of UK transport. It is the UK market leader in high-performance light rail services, operating London’s DLR and Nottingham’s award-winning urban light rail network, in addition to several major rail franchises.