Lord Mayor tours Hull Trains Learning and Development Academy
A SIGNAL OF SUCCESS: Lord Mayor, Councillor Mark Collinson, and Louise Mendham, service delivery director at Hull Trains, during the recent civic visit to the rail operator’s learning and development academy in Hull city centre
AS part of the company’s 25th birthday celebrations, the rail operator invited the Lord Mayor and other senior leaders from the authority as part of a civic visit.
As one of the UK’s most successful rail companies, employing 130 people and achieving an industry-leading 96% customer satisfaction score, Hull Trains takes a proactive approach to the development of its workforce, providing opportunities for progression as well as recruiting and educating the next generation of staff from Hull and the surrounding area.
The launch of the Learning and Development Academy, last year, in Hull’s iconic K2 building, highlights how Hull Trains is at the heart of innovation in the rail industry and is continuing to contribute to jobs and skills in the region.
Facilities at the academy allow drivers to experience an even higher quality of training by becoming familiar with in-cab digital signalling before it is fitted to Hull Trains’ fleet as part of the company’s commitment to training the future talent of a truly digital railway.
Councillor Collinson, Lord Mayor, said: “After speaking to the staff and experiencing the amazing training facilities, I then had great fun driving a virtual train.
“The simulator throws up some of the real-life hazards that staff have to deal with, so it is quite challenging.
“It is clear that Hull Trains is passionate – not only about investing in its people and providing world-class learning opportunities and development – but also about its commitment to Hull and its future prosperity.
“The company has, and continues to play, an important role in the day-to-day lives of the people of our city and in the recent economic regeneration of Hull and the wider region over the last quarter of a century.
“Hull Trains has exciting plans for the future and the council is keen to work with them to continue to grow the rail sector in the city.”
Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Hull Trains, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor and leading Hull City Council officials to our learning and development facility, allowing them to not only experience our state-of-the-art driver simulator, but also learn more about our operations and how we are continuing to help support and develop the city of Kingston upon Hull.
“During the past 25 years we’ve grown our operations significantly from the one service that was linking Hull to the capital when we started, to the eight services that are provided today. We now transport more than 1.5million passengers per year.
“We’re extremely proud to carry the name of the city down the East Coast Mainline and look forward to continued success, playing an active role in the local community and helping businesses prosper.”
