National Railway Heritage Awards winners announced

The winners of the 2021 National Railway Heritage Awards have been announced.

Chief executive of Network Rail, Andrew Haines, was the guest of honour at an in-person event at the Merchant Taylor’s Hall, following a lockdown-friendly virtual awards last year.

Here are the winners:

The BAM Nuttall Partnership Award recognised restoration work undertaken at Kilmarnock station by the Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust.

The Great Western Railway Craft Skills Award, recognising the best use of traditional craft skills in the restoration of a building or structure, was presented to Transport for London for work undertaken on the Arcade at Victoria station.

The Urban Heritage Award, sponsored by the Arch Company, was given to Gorilla Bros, Network Rail and Northern for work completed at Knaresborough station in bringing disused accommodation back into use.

This year’s Costain Structures Award for the best-restored structure, such as a viaduct or tunnel, was handed to Network Rail and Story Contracting for work at Auch viaduct near Tyndrum on the West Highland line.

The London Underground Operational Enhancement Award went to the Transport for London and MTR for the transformative work completed at Hanwell station.

The Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award for the best restored structure supported by funding from the Trust was won by London North Eastern Railway for the work undertaken at Newcastle Central station to restore to public use the Victorian lavatories on platform 12.

The Hendy & Pendle Trust Volunteers Award was made to the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company for the restoration of the station at Chelfham.

The Network Rail Community Award was won by two entrants: to the Stow Community Trust for the restoration of the station house at Stow and to Saltash Town Council for work completed at Saltash station.

The Southeastern Commercial Restoration Award was won by Network Rail for the restoration of the station house at Appledore.

A significant number of projects featuring signal boxes resulted in an additional accolade – for signalling – being created. This was presented to Network Rail for the careful work undertaken at Shrewsbury Severn Bridge Junction – now the largest mechanical signal box in the world – to upgrade the glazing and other features.

A second additional award, covering small schemes, was won by the Bittern Line Community Rail Partnership, Greater Anglia and Dura Composites for the careful work undertaken on the restoration of the running-in board at West Runton.

The project undertaken by the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway to rebuild the dismantled overall platform canopy from Maidenhead at Wallingford was given a special award named in honour of the late Theo Steel.

The Greater Anglia Award for the best overall entry in this year’s competition went to Translink in Northern Ireland for the excellent work undertaken to create the North West Multimodal Transport Hub.

Pictures by Duncan Phillips photography, permission for use given by NRHA

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