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Safety first at East Coast

Train operator East Coast is today celebrating winning a prestigious rail industry award for excellence in safe train driving on more than 900 miles of route.

East Coast picked up the ‘Golden Whistle’ award in the ‘Operational Safety – Train Driving’ category for the highest safety standards on the railway. The awards were presented at a ceremony in London on Friday night.

The awards are organised each year by the Institution of Railway Operators and trade magazine Modern Railways to promote high standards of operating practice across the rail industry.

Each award is much sought-after by train operators as positive proof of commitment to safe operation of the railway. East Coast’s award recognises the operator’s achievement in maintaining the highest level of performance in tackling four areas of risk, covering:
• Signals passed at danger;
• Failure to call at a station as scheduled;
• Activation of Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) – a system which activates the train’s brakes automatically if it passes a signal at danger or exceeds the maximum line speed limit;
• Trains stopping short of the platform at a station.

The ‘Operational Safety – Train Driving’ category is the only one in the Golden Whistle awards to offer only one top prize with no runner-up award – reflecting the paramount importance of safety on the railway.

East Coast operations director Danny Williams said: “Sound operating practices are rightly at the heart of any successful modern railway. At East Coast, safety is always our number one priority.

“We’re delighted that our driving safety record over the last 12 months has been recognised in this way. The award itself is one of the best-known symbols of the railway – the traditional whistle used to safely despatch trains every day from stations all over the network.”

The choice of winner in the Golden Whistle awards is based on operational data collected from all train operators throughout the year, as interpreted by a panel of senior railway executives.