First Hull Trains planning and performance manager shortlisted for prestigious industry award

Jan. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Louise Mendham, the company’s planning and performance manager, has been shortlisted in the Rail Business Awards Young Professional of the Year category.
She is now set to attend the award ceremony, which is to be hosted by Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson, at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel, London, on Monday 25th February.

Louise said: “I’m really pleased to have been nominated for this award.

I enjoy my job here and it’s really rewarding to receive recognition for my work.“

Louise joined First Hull Trains – which runs 90 services a week between Hull and London King’s Cross – in an operations support role in 2004.

She was promoted to her current position as planning and performance manager in 2010. This role, a first for the company, requires Louise to  juggle long-term planning, taking maintenance and scheduled engineering works into account, and day-to-day scheduling, as well as performance assessment and management.

Keith Doughty, service delivery director for First Hull Trains, said: “Many train operators have a whole team taking care of planning and performance, so Louise’s achievements are especially impressive.

“Given that she works alone, the level of exhaustive information that she processes on a daily basis is staggering to say the least!.”

One of Louise’s most significant successes has been the implementation of a new review scheme which allows First Hull Trains to begin looking into the reasons behind a train delay as soon as it’s reported, enabling improvements to be made immediately.. The majority of other train operators do not begin this process of investigation until the following working day.

Mr Doughty adds: “I think it’s a credit to Louise that she’s been able to develop this role so successfully.

“She is an incredible asset to http://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ and to the customers which we serve, and consistently performs at a level which is above and beyond that which is expected of her. She should be extremely proud of her achievements and she thoroughly deserves this prestigious nomination.”

MP Alan Johnson said: “I am very much looking forward to hosting the awards, particularly after learning Louise has been shortlisted.

“The awards celebrate the best of the best across the entire rail industry and it’s exciting to see someone from a Hull-based company reach the shortlist..

“I’d like to wish Louise, along with and all the other entrants, all the best on the evening.”