This year’s categories are:

■ Customer Service Excellence - recognises top-class service for customers of all suppliers of railway services, where an organisation shows flexibility, responsibility and a clear focus on quality of delivery that sets a new standard to deliver customer satisfaction. ■ Freight and Logistics Achievement of the Year - entries might relate to a specific rail freight or logistics initiative, to a combination of measures and initiatives that have enhanced the part that rail plays in supply chain and logistics activity (nationally or internationally), or to any achievement which is increasing the use of rail for freight purposes. ■ Infrastructure Achievement of the Year - this award covers all aspects of infrastructure engineering, including (for example) signalling and telecommunications, power supply, digital technologies, and civil engineering. ■ Innovation of the Year - finding new ways of doing the job or new technologies that will change the railway. It can involve radical changes in engineering or technology, business process, or to customer service. ■ Major Project of the Year - open to any major project, costing around £100 million or more. It may involve trains, infrastructure, signalling, stations, improved customer facilities, or new technology. ■ Outstanding Personal Contribution - recognises railwaymen and women in any frontline role who have performed above and beyond the call of duty, to significant effect. ■ Outstanding Teamwork Award - the winning entry will demonstrate top-class teamwork showing passion and creativity, delivering innovative ways of working bringing clear benefits to customers that can be extended to the railway as a whole. ■ Passenger Operator of the Year - covers all passenger operators (main line, urban, metro or light rail), and is designed

to reward operators who set and achieved high standards of operation. Evidence from delighted customers will have a strong influence on the judges’ decision. ■ Safety Initiative of the

Year - encompasses all aspects of safety, including the safety of staff, passengers and the public. Although a single action relating to an event could win the award, a successful entry is more likely to recognise a change that influences safety for years to come.

■ Station of the Year - stations are divided into four sections for judging: small, medium, large and major termini. All stations entered for these awards will be visited and judged against set criteria

for operations, including safety, infrastructure and customerfriendly presentation. Particular emphasis will be placed on initiative and innovation. ■ Sustainable Development Award - to be considered sustainable, a business must look beyond its immediate needs and act in a way that protects the needs of both the business and future generations.

■ Train of the Year - covers all types of train and rolling stock, both passenger and freight. The winning entry could be a new build, a refurbishment or upgrade, maintenance of existing stock, or a programme to improve rolling stock performance.