RFG has amended the award categories over the years to reflect the continuing modernisation in the rail freight industry. So why did Solent Stevedores, which operates a terminal at Southampton Port, win the main award this year?
The judges said: “This company has been entrepreneurial and taken risks to lead the drive for rail freight growth at the port. Its current £17.5m investment in a revamped rail terminal has lengthened and redesigned track and developed 12 acres of laden container storage space. This is the third major investment in the terminal in the last ten years and has already increased daily service capacity from five to eight. This will rise to 12 a day by the end of the year. It has been inspirational in the Southampton story.”
On the night, Solent Stevedores also won the ‘Driving Rail Freight Growth’ award.
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group, said: “The rail freight sector needs companies like Solent Stevedores, active and innovative players that are prepared to continually invest in making modal shift a reality. We all know that the UK needs to move more goods away from our congested road network and onto the railway and Solent Stevedores is one company acting to make the future of sustainable transport happen.
“A huge thank you to all of our winners and runners-up. Thank you to everyone who attended our dinner itself and helped make it another fantastic success.”
The awards dinner, which was sponsored by RFG members Burges Salmon and GB Railfreight, was hosted by Simon Coppen (from Burges Salmon) and John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight (GBRf).
The award winners were:
Business of the Year
Solent Stevedores
Driving Rail Freight Growth
Winner: Solent Stevedores
Runner Up: Porterbrook, Greenbrier and GB Railfreight
Sustainability & Safety
Winner: GB Railfreight
Runner Up: Knorr-Bremse
Innovation & Talent
Winner: Freightliner
Runner Up: Eco2Loco
Railfreight Project of the Year
Winner: Fishbone and Partners
Runner Up: Fox Group, Tarmac and Freightliner
Outstanding Individual Contribution
Winner: Paul Lugg, VTG Rail
Young Rail Freight Professional
Winner: Izzy Glancey, Victa Railfreight
Runner Up: Molly Cooke, DRS
Runner Up: Connor Murrells, GBRTT