Southeastern shortlisted in three Rail Awards categories

Southeastern Railway, a Purpose Coalition partner, has been shortlisted in three categories at RAIL Magazine's National Rail Awards.

'Outstanding Contribution to Society' recognises their work with The Purpose Coalition. Southeastern was the first passenger operator to publish a Social Mobility Action Plan, mapping their work against 14 key barriers to opportunity. Last year alone, Southeastern invested £77m with small and medium-sized businesses – a 20% increase that's helping local economies thrive. They’ve also expanded pathways for young people, from summer internships to graduate programmes. It's about opening doors that might otherwise stay closed.

'Outstanding Personal Contribution' nominations go to two of Southeastern’s incredible colleagues who embody everything that's great about their railway. Platform Assistant Glenn Craddock has completely transformed Sandwich Station by taking a community-first approach to safety challenges. Rather than simply enforcing rules when faced with anti-social behaviour from local schoolchildren, Glenn built genuine relationships with the students, earning their respect and creating lasting positive change. As Youth Safeguarding Ambassador, his work extends well beyond his station duties – incidents have dropped significantly, and passengers regularly comment on how welcoming the station now feels.

Station Manager Bev Rickwood has transformed customer satisfaction scores since taking over Rochester and Strood stations in April 2024! But what makes Bev truly special is her commitment to inclusion and community impact. Her pioneering work with BEMIX charity has created employment opportunities for individuals with learning difficulties and challenging backgrounds, while she's personally mentored colleagues into leadership roles. She's driven gateline compliance to an incredibly high score at Strood through great team engagement.