MERSEYRAIL was the successful winner of the most significant award at the National Rail Awards, Passenger Operator of the Year, while also taking home two other major category wins including the Customer Service Excellence award for its delivery of the Wirral Track Renewal project in 2017 and the Sustainable Development award for its commitment to sustainability projects and its community engagement programme. It is the first single operator to win three awards at the event.

The rail company, which in June was named one of the top three rail operators in the country in the National Rail Passenger Survey, was shortlisted for five awards in four categories at the rail industry’s most significant award ceremony.

In its fourth category, Station of the Year (Large), its Liverpool South Parkway station was Highly Commended, completing Merseyrail’s full house with an award for each category in which it was shortlisted.

Deputy Managing Director, Paul Bowen, said: “We always aim to deliver the best possible service for our passengers in the Liverpool City Region and to receive recognition on this scale at the industry’s most prestigious awards is an absolute privilege and a real testament to all employees at Merseyrail and our partners.

“To have been successful in these three awards really reflects the commitment to our passengers, customer service, sustainability and the communities we operate in, that often happens behind the scenes.

“We operate the network with the most important people in mind, our passengers, and winning Passenger Operator of the Year in recognition of our efforts to consistently deliver for our customers, even in the face of adversity, is something that I know everyone at Merseyrail will be really proud of.”

Merseyrail’s Wirral Track Renewal project has now received multiple customer service awards for the successful delivery of a project that required the underground section of the Merseyrail network in central Liverpool to close for 6 months.

The Sustainable Development award recognised Merseyrail’s commitment to green initiatives such as the smart LED lighting programme that was rolled out this year and Merseyrail’s extensive community engagement programme, which includes educating school children about railway safety, working with vulnerable groups and developing community projects such as the Blue Garden at its Kirkdale station.