RFG Awards 2022: Call for entries

Please note this has now closed.

We are very pleased to launch the RFG Awards 2022, which recognise excellence in all aspects of rail freight. We would encourage all our members to use this opportunity to take the chance to acknowledge the outstanding work done by your teams up and down the country, each and every day.

• Download an entry form here.
• Download the entry criteria here.

The period of eligibility covered by these awards is: 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
The deadline for entries is: Tuesday 31 May 2022.
You must be a member of RFG to enter. If you are not already a member and would like to join RFG, please contact phillippa@susans86.sg-host.com
Entries, with completed Entry Form, should be sent to: Yvonne Mulder: yvonne@susans86.sg-host.com

Each entry submitted must not exceed 2,000 words. However, judges welcome supporting statements from third parties that do not exceed 500 words. No pre-published
advertising or marketing materials will be accepted for consideration.

Winners will be presented with their trophies at an informal ceremony and dinner
On: Thursday, 8 September, 2022
At: Shendish Manor, London Rd, Hemel Hempstead HP3 0AA

Award categories

• Driving Rail Freight Growth

• Sustainability & Safety

• Innovation & Talent

• Rail Freight Project of the Year

• Outstanding Individual Contribution

• Young Rail Freight Professional

• Business of the Year Award (chosen by the judges from entries received in the other categories)

Driving Rail Freight Growth
RFG’s mission is to increase the volume of goods moved by rail – benefiting the environment and economy – and to help its members to grow their businesses. This category seeks to recognise those companies which have helped rail freight to grow. For instance, through enabling modal shift (from road to rail), excellent customer care, developing new products and services, and/or changes to policies, systems and processes essential for growth.

This could be achieved through overcoming physical, legal or technical barriers or developing software, infrastructure and/or equipment to improve productivity or to make new flows viable. It also includes working closely with customers and potential customers to understand their needs and demonstrating a genuine commitment to serving those needs.

This category covers both new and increased existing cargo flows, and includes those who have ensured that existing services have been sustained when threatened by short-term incidents or long-term changes.

Sustainability and Safety
The rail freight industry recognises that in order to thrive, we need to act responsibly and sustainably with respect to communities and to the environment. The safety – of our people and those working with us, as well as of the general public – is a vital component in this strategy.

We welcome submissions from companies which can demonstrate evidence of sustainable development – from cutting emissions/noise to building better relationships with local communities and promoting the benefits of rail freight. This also includes instituting new safety measures, making depots and terminals safer and more environmentally friendly, developing or trialling new fuels/ software/ ways of working to increase sustainability /safety, finding ways to attract new cargo flows to rail.

Innovation and Talent
For rail freight to thrive the industry must innovate constantly and develop the best workforce for the future. This category recognises businesses which are investing in talent development, and/or in innovation and technology.

The judges are looking for evidence of real innovation in the range or quality of services provided to customers as well as in technical development of infrastructure, rolling stock, handling equipment, safety, software and communications systems, etc. This category also includes the launch/extension of recruitment, training and apprenticeship programmes, and programmes to improve diversity and inclusion in the sector to ensure the industry is drawing from the widest talent pool. We recognise that upskilling and recruitment are vital for the future growth of the industry.

Submissions should demonstrate that the innovation, technical development or talent programme submitted has improved, or is improving, the service quality, safety, productivity, cost-effectiveness and/or capacity of rail freight services, or otherwise contributing to the sustainability and growth of rail freight.

Rail Freight Project of the Year
This is a wide-ranging entry category. An eligible project may comprise anything from a new civil engineering maintenance programme or technique to reduce interruptions to rail freight services, new infrastructure facilities to improve network capacity and reliability, products to encourage modal shift and/or other environmental benefits or operational initiatives to increase service speeds or freight train weights / lengths.

The main criterion is that the project should make, or should directly contribute to, a significant improvement in the quality, range and or safety of services offered to freight users, as well as enhancing the market prospects for rail freight.

Outstanding Individual Contribution
The RFG would like to encourage its members to nominate a member of staff who has made an outstanding contribution to their business and the interest of rail freight. It gives the opportunity for companies to publicly recognise their staff who make a real difference within the business and/or with customers.

Young Rail Freight Professional
This category recognises the importance to the industry of encouraging and helping to develop its newest staff, who often go unrecognised. It is open to staff under 30 years of age on 1 January 2022 who should be nominated by a manager or colleague (or customer) for providing exceptional service or a major contribution to a project or programme.

This category is also open to those who have entered the industry in the last two years (from 1 January 2020 onwards) and have made an outstanding contribution in that time. Entries submitted should contain clear examples of where the nominee has made a significant contribution to rail freight, the company and/or its customers.

Business of the Year Award
The winner of the Business of the Year award is selected by the judging panel from all entries received on the basis of the successful organisation’s all-round performance.

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If you have any questions about the awards categories or the criteria please contact Yvonne Mulder, Project Manager, at yvonne@susans86.sg-host.com or Tel: 07887 767 666.

Shortlist
Those entrants who have been shortlisted for an award, will be advised by the end of July 2022.

Prizes
The winners and runners-up in each award category will be given an engraved trophy. Winners’ names will be publicised by RFG in its own publications and in other recognised freight and rail industry media.

Booking a table
If you wish to book a table at the awards dinner on Thursday 8 September and/or donate a prize to the raffle, please contact Phillippa O’Shea, Administration Manager, at Phillippa@susans86.sg-host.com

The 2022 RFG awards are kindly sponsored by
Burges Salmon LLP and GB Railfreight