Transport Briefs: AMV; Network Rail; London Midland

AMV named Company of the Year in Transport Awards 2014 

A WOLVERHAMPTON business has been recognised for its success over the past year with a national industry award.

AMV Couriers, a family run courier business based in Wednesfield, scooped the Company of the Year category at the Transport Awards 2014, organised by Transport Exchange Group. The awards celebrates major achievements and best practice within the freight industry.

AMV Couriers’ Daryl Tranter and Simon Footitt were presented with the award by Tony McAndrew, from One Insurance Solution, at the annual ceremony that took place at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth in front of more than 300 industry professionals and business leaders.

The company was one of five winners nominated and voted for by almost 3,000 members of Courier Exchange and Haulage Exchange in recognition of their outstanding achievement in terms of customer service, operational performance and delivery.

Daryl Tranter, Transport Manager at AMV Courier, said: “The Courier Exchange has helped us get to where we are today, so we are incredibly grateful to the Transport Exchange Group for their ongoing support and presenting us with this much appreciated accolade.”

The Transport Awards, now in their 12th year, are organised by Transport Exchange Group.

Network Rail launches campaign to recruit West Midlands apprentices

NETWORK Rail is mounting a recruitment campaign for 15 new apprentices to work on the multi-billion pound programme renewing parts of the West Midlands rail network.

The organisation said places were available in Birmingham, Nuneaton, Rugby, Saltley, Sandwell and Dudley, Stafford and Stourbridge.

The vacancies are part of a nationwide campaign to recruit 220 apprenticeships to work on the Network Rail’s three-year course. Successful applicants will spend their first year at Europe’s largest engineering training facility at HMS Sultan in Hampshire where they will specialise in either track, signalling, telecoms or electrification and plant.

During their second and third years, they will work on the rail network’s front line, gaining vital experience as they train to become maintenance technicians. Throughout this time they will regularly return to HMS Sultan for further courses and training to add to the experience gained on the rail network.

Cable thefts disrupt journeys for London Midlands commuters 

LONDON Midland, Network Rail and British Transport Police have appealed for help in tracking down cable thieves after passengers using the Snow Hill Lines between Stratford-upon-Avon, Shirley and Birmingham suffered more than 36 hours of disruption to rail services due to the thefts.

In one incident he thieves struck in the early hours of the morning near Wood End, stealing seven separate lengths of cable including the power supply and signalling cables. Network Rail engineers worked over two nights to repair the damage with services returning to normal on Thursday evening.

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “I apologise to passengers for the disruption they suffered as a result of cable theft.

“We are working closely with British Transport Police to reduce cable theft on the railway and our efforts over the last few years have seen a marked drop in both the number of incidents and the resulting delays to passengers.

Close