Edinburgh’s acclaimed tram system is celebrating more awards success following a high-profile event last night (October 5) that celebrated excellence across the light rail sector.
The city’s tram operator secured top honours in the ‘Significant Safety Initiative’ category at the Global Light Rail Awards in London, which was hosted by television presenter Nicholas Owen.
The latest accolade comes after previous recognition at the Scottish Transport Awards last week, where an Assistant Engineering Manager at Edinburgh Trams was named Frontline Employee of the Year.
Excelling in the ‘Significant Safety Initiative’ category follows a series of exercises, carried out in partnership with the emergency services and other key stakeholders, to test the operator’s responses to potential emergencies and its safety management processes.
Colin Kerr, the organisation’s Head of Safety and Projects, said the recognition at what are considered the light rail sector’s Oscars was a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.
The safety of our customers and colleagues has always been our highest priority and the judges recognised the thorough approach we had taken to planning the exercises, as well as the improvements we have since made to our emergency procedures, he explained.
We are delighted that this commitment to continuously improving our safety protocols has been acknowledged at such a prestigious industry event.
As well as securing the top award, a Renewals Manager at Edinburgh Trams was also highly commended for rising through the operator’s ranks.
Having started work on the network as a Ticketing Service Assistant, Marilena is now responsible for the 10-year programme with a budget of £50m, which has seen the installation of an alarm and automatic braking system across the tram fleet.
Following the awards ceremony at London’s Honourable Artillery Company, Edinburgh Trams’ Managing Director Lea Harrison added:
Last night’s success proves once again that our team continues to go from strength to strength as we strive to deliver a world-class tram service for our great city.
