HOW TO ENTER - ENTRIES OPEN JANUARY 27 2023 AND CLOSE MARCH 24  -  ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 31.

Safety, customer service and value for money are all key to the success of the railway.  The National Rail Awards recognise outstanding achievements in Great Britain over the past year, but particularly look to reward initiatives which demonstrate measurable improvements in performance which can be rolled out across the railway, to improve the industry’s longer term success and sustainability, and which compare well with international benchmarks.

The period covered by each award is 1st April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Judging is rigorous, and the due diligence process will include visiting or interviewing all shortlisted entries.  Final decisions are then taken by all the judges.  
Except where otherwise stated:

• Entries will be shortlisted on the basis of the written submissions
• All shortlisted entrants will then be invited to make a presentation to a panel which normally comprises three judges
• For some awards, the panel may visit the site of short-listed applications, for familiarisation and verification purposes

We welcome entries from across the rail industry, its supply chain and its stakeholders.  Under each category heading, further detail is provided on who should enter.  Generally, entries should be submitted by the client, operator or main contractor/designer (where relevant); but every entry should list all the major parties involved.

Entrants should consider carefully the most relevant category for their entry, although the judges have discretion to reallocate to a different category.  Duplicate or broadly similar entries should not be made to more than one category, as this will not increase the chance of an award.

All entries should include:

• A completed cover sheet - a bullet pointed summary
• A pdf document containing all relevant entry material. There is no specific restriction on the word or page count of this document but the first page must contain a bullet-pointed summary of the key aspects of your entry. The rest of the document should contain the complete entry explaining why it meets the criteria and is deserving of a National Rail Award. The judges will receive a large number of applications so we advise you to be clear and concise in your entry
• Four high-res images at least 300 dpi
• A high-resolution logo for each company that should be recognised in the entry. Formats accepted are jpg, tiff, psd or eps (300dpi minimum)
• The relevant entry fee (The Station and Outstanding Personal Contribution Awards are free to enter)

'Station of the Year' is the only category that does not require a pdf document or cover sheet however we do ask that a senior manager in your company signs off your final selection to avoid inappropriate entries.

Please ensure that all the following items are included in your entry. Failure to do so may result in your entry not being accepted. Most importantly though, good luck!

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT OUTSTANDING PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION FINALISTS ARE NOT ENTITED TO A COMPLIMENTARY TICKET. TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT VIA THE WEBSITE.

The Rules

• The qualifying period for performance and projects completed is the year ending March 2023.
• Entries not including the required items on the checklist will not be forwarded for judging.
• Each entry can only be made into one category. You are however free to make more than one entry into any one category where the subject matter is different and unique to each category.
• Judges reserve the right to move entries to a category they deem more appropriate.
• A fee of £25 + VAT (30.00) is payable for each entry, with the exception of Outstanding Personal Contribution and Station of the Year. Payment should accompany entries.
• Judges must be allowed reasonable site access if necessary to the judging process.
• Where more than one company is involved in a project or initiative, entries must list all major contractors or partners.
• Entrants should be authorised to act on the company’s behalf.
• All or part of entries may be published, free of reproduction fees by RAIL and the National Rail Awards.
• The judges’ decision is final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.

If you have any queries regarding the entry process please contact [email protected] or on 01733 395089.