Train operator East Coast is celebrating double awards success.
East Coast’s electric trains have been recognised for their reliability by a leading rail industry journal, whilst a campaign to attract more people to sample train travel at value-for-money prices has also won a leading regional marketing award.
The coveted ‘Golden Spanner’ reliability prize
for East Coast’s electric trains was awarded at a London ceremony hosted by Modern Railways magazine. The awards focus on railway traction and rolling stock reliability across Britain’s rail network.
Each train type is rated for the number of miles covered between breakdowns in a league table using statistics drawn from the Association of Train Operating Companies’ National Fleet Reliability Improvement Programme (NFRIP).
In the intercity sector, East Coast’s electric trains were named as the most reliable, whilst a programme to boost the reliability of its diesel HST trains, including fitting new, high performing engines, was also recognised by the awards judges.
East Coast’s prize was presented by NFRIP chairman David Sawyer, who was the engineer responsible for the design of the Class 225 electric locomotives when they originally entered service in 1990.
East Coast’s own depot teams at Bounds Green, in north London, and Craigentinny, near Edinburgh, maintain the operator’s 43 electric and diesel trains, supported by other depot teams at Newcastle, Leeds and Glasgow.
Meanwhile the innovative ‘Miniature Prices’ marketing campaign, highlighting advance purchase fare deals on the East Coast route, won the Best Advertising Campaign prize in the Northern Marketing Awards, presented in Newcastle.
East Coast managing director Karen Boswell said: “I am delighted at these successes, which are the result of hard work by our depot and marketing teams.
“East Coast has a great team of people who are dedicated to providing the best possible travel experience for our customers, from the moment they decide to travel with us through to journey’s end.”
East Coast operates 137 services each weekday linking London with the East Midlands, Yorkshire, North East England and Scotland.