Southeastern Railway

Nine tech start-ups showcased their groundbreaking ideas to rail industry leaders at the Future Labs EXPO🚆. Hosted by Lara Lewington, the event highlighted solutions developed during a 12-week accelerator program. Finalists were chosen from nearly 500 applicants and received mentorship from experts in publicly-owned DfT Operator train companies: London North Eastern Railway, Southeastern Railway, TransPennine Express and Northern. This guidance helped them tackle key challenges in customer experience, performance improvement, operational excellence, and talent development. Two finalists received special recognition at Future Labs EXPO: 🏆 PotentialU which aids frontline leaders in understanding team strengths and areas for growth won the Collaboration Award. 🏆 Treeva, known for capturing renewable energy from turbulent airflow was voted as ‘People’s Choice.’ Richard Harrison, Chief Financial Officer of DfT Operator, said: "Future Labs is a great example of how operators are working together to drive forward innovation to improve performance and provide a better experience for customers." The nine finalists were; ChatAI, Cleancore Intelligence, 1Huddle, Cognition24, Zing Data, Treeva, Moonbility, PotentialU and iqast - intelligent forecasting software. Also a huge thank you and congratulations to Daniel Taylor, our Innovation Lead here at Southeastern, for mentoring throughout the programme. Read the full story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dU4MRvqK.

🥳 Just a couple of weeks to go until we celebrate 200 years of train travel with Railway 200 and showcase our industry! 🚂 🌟 Railway 200 will be a year-long nationwide campaign, led by the Rail Delivery Group to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. 🌟 #Railway200 #CareerInRail

Thank you Explore Kent and we look forward to hearing more about your events 🙂 #CCIF #community

🎄✨ Festive Fun at Southeastern ✨🎄 A HUGE thank you to one of our amazing PAs, Stephanie Cummins, for organizing today's Festive Bake Off – a day full of incredible bakes, holiday cheer, and, of course, Christmas jumpers! 🎅🧁 Our talented colleagues brought in their best bakes, filling the office with the smell of sweet treats. From show-stopping cakes to delicious rocky roads, there was no shortage of festive flair (or full tummies!) today. 🍰✨ It’s days like these that remind us of the importance of a little extra sparkle during the Christmas season. 🎁💛 Here's to more moments like this as we wrap up the year! Thank you to everyone who took part for making it such a fun and festive day! 🎄🎅✨

It was a pleasure to host the Labour MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, Daniel Francis, at our Slade Green depot in his constituency yesterday. He was able to get under the two-headed wheel lathe (machinery that reprofiles train wheels to give customers a smoother ride) and see the refreshed carriage washer that we have installed with our Alliance partner Network Rail. Daniel was also able to climb aboard the bespoke extended overhead gantry that we use to keep the Class 707 City Beams in tip-top condition alongside the team at Siemens Mobility. We’re very proud of the great work that is done at Slade Green to keep our trains in the best possible condition for customer service. The recent improvements we’ve made ensure that we have the most cost-effective and efficient maintenance regime, helping us also to prepare for any potential new or cascaded fleet in the coming years.

🌟 Several of our Community Rail Partnership (CRP) projects have been shortlisted for the National Community Rail Awards! 🎉 These nominations highlight the incredible collaboration, creativity, and community-focused efforts we've worked hard to deliver. Here are the shortlisted projects we’re very proud of: Empowering Diverse Groups 🐾 Kent CRP, Guide Dogs, and Southeastern – Paws on the Platform 🚉 Southeast Communities RP / Aspens – Aspens SEND Adults Get Mobile Community Creative Projects & Station Arts 🎨 Creative Isle CRP – Above & Beyond Best Community Engagement Project 📚 Southeast Communities RP / Explore the Arch – A Town Explores a Book Most Enhanced Railway Spaces 🏢 Southeast Communities RP – Battle Community Hub Our Community Relations Manager Matthew Fraser said: "These nominations are a testament to the power of partnerships and the positive impact we can create when we work together to support and connect our communities. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in delivering these fantastic projects, as well as to the National Community Rail Awards for recognizing them" Good luck to all the finalists—we can’t wait to celebrate with you all! 🏆✨ #CommunityRail #MakingADifference #Teamwork #NationalCommunityRailAwards #CommunityEngagement #StationArts #Inclusivity https://lnkd.in/ecSmz6R9

🚉 Breaking Barriers with The King’s Trust. We’re delighted to welcome this year’s cohort from The King's Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust) for their two-week placements! 🎉 As part of our Social Mobility Action Plan, this programme provides invaluable experience, removes barriers to rail employment, and helps create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Our fantastic mentors, who are inspiring the participants while developing their own coaching and leadership skills. Here’s what they had to say: 💬 Loretta Tarlington (Sales/Customer Service): “Watching the young adults grow from week 1 to the end was so rewarding. I would do it all again tomorrow!” 💬 Anne Ross (Rest Day Relief): “It was really rewarding to see our candidates grow in confidence and complete the programme. Thank you for the opportunity to be a mentor!” One of last year’s participants, James Pickering, has since turned his passion for rail into a profession, landing his first role in the industry. James credits the programme for giving him the skills, experience, and confidence to achieve this milestone. We’re so proud to support this life-changing initiative! 🚀 #SocialMobility #Mentorship #DiversityAndInclusion #RailCareers #TheKingsTrust #RailwayFamily

"When you enjoy what you do, you keep doing it!" A station supervisor at #Margate has celebrated his 55th anniversary of working on the railways. Dougie Calder was 16 when he joined British Rail in 1969 and has spent more than five decades in a range of roles. The 71-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. He still cycles to and from work and regularly works 12-hour early, late, and night shifts. Reflecting on his career, Dougie said: "I've had so many opportunities and I've been very lucky to have achieved everything I have." Southeastern's Passenger Services Director David Wornham added: "Dougie's passion and his commitment to the railways in Kent over his career has been remarkable. "He's a real-life example of how the railway can be a career for life – and as we look forward to the 200th anniversary of the railway in 2025, I hope his story inspires a new generation to join us." https://lnkd.in/eDpFjdvT

✨ Exciting News! ✨ We are absolutely thrilled to share that we’ve been shortlisted for not one, but EIGHT awards at the prestigious Rail Business Awards! This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our amazing teams. 🙌 Here are the categories we’ve been recognised for: 1️⃣ Diversity & Inclusion in Rail – Recruitment Campaign 🧑🤝🧑 2️⃣ Innovation of the Year – Accessible App 🚀 3️⃣ Marketing & Communications Excellence – Better Journeys Campaign 📣 4️⃣ Rail Team of the Year – The Alliance 🤝 with Network Rail 5️⃣ Sustainability & Environmental Excellence – Southeastern in Bloom 🌱 6️⃣ Train Operator of the Year 🚉 7️⃣ Young Professional of the Year – Harriet Rowe 🌟 8️⃣ Young Professional of the Year – Edward Goddard ACIRO 🌟 Being shortlisted for these awards is a huge honour, and it’s all down to the incredible talent, creativity, and determination of our staff. They are the driving force behind this success, and we couldn’t be prouder, and no matter the outcome, we are already winners for the progress we've made and the impact we have been able to deliver in the rail industry. The awards ceremony is taking place in February, so let’s keep our fingers (and toes!) crossed! 🤞 A massive congratulations again to everyone involved! 🚂 https://lnkd.in/eFcykjmw #RailBusinessAwards #Teamwork #Innovation #Sustainability #DiversityAndInclusion #BetterJourneys #Railwayfamily

As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, we find comfort in cosy evenings by the fire and the twinkling of festive lights. However, the winter season also brings challenges for our rail network. Lucy Bryant, our Campaigns Manager, highlights the impact of winter weather: “When temperatures drop, even light rain or snow can freeze on the rails, creating dangerous ice. This can insulate the electric rail, preventing trains from drawing power and moving with any speed. In severe cases, it can stop trains altogether. Strong winds, heavy rain, and storms can also cause major disruptions, such as flooding, fallen trees, and landslips.” Together with Network Rail, we’re committed to keeping our customers moving this winter. When winter weather strikes, we’ll operate snow-and-ice-busting trains around the clock and run empty ‘ghost trains’ overnight to keep tracks and overhead cables clear.❄ For more information on how we manage winter weather and to check timetables, visit https://lnkd.in/eMB6n4i3