Wales and Borders rail workers have received two prestigious awards, for delivering improved performance over the last year.

Transport for Wales won a Silver Whistle award for the most improved regional on-time performance.

Network Rail also won a Silver Whistle award in the ‘minimising delay minutes’ category for reducing passenger delays.

Wales and Borders are the most improved routes across the UK. During this financial year, the route has reduced delays by more than ninety thousand minutes (1500 hours, or just over two months). It has also achieved three hundred thousand extra station stops.

This achievement is particularly notable considering that twelve named storms have hit the region during the last year, including Storm Darragh, which disrupted railway services.

The Golden Whistle Awards took place at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London. This is an annual event organised by the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (CIRO) and Modern Railways with the aim of celebrating excellence in railway operations.

Network Rail believes that the two Silver Whistle awards reflect the dedication of the teams across both TfW and Network Rail. It attributes the award-winning performances to several factors, including:

• more new trains and carriages in service per day
• introduction of last year’s June and December timetables for the mainline and Core Valley Lines
• close collaboration between Transport for Wales and Network Rail, including a tripartite performance strategy and our local railway partnership.

“We’re thrilled to be formally recognised for the commitment we’ve made to improving rail services for passengers and are continuing to work hard to improve further. We’ve had some serious challenges over the last year, but this award clearly shows the insight, skills, professionalism and team spirit that our people bring to work with them every single day.”

Rachel Heath, Network Rail Route Operations Director for Wales & Borders