Friday 19 November 2010
ScotRail train driver Willie Dickson was last night named Frontline Employee of the Year for his part in securing the safety of 60 passengers following the Falls of Cruachan derailment earlier this year.
Willie, from Grangemouth and a railwayman of 30 years, was at the controls in June when he unexpectedly came upon "two huge rocks" on the Glasgow-Oban line.
The 60-year -old applied the emergency brakes, stayed at the controls until the train came to a rest – and helped safely evacuated the train on a 50-foot high embankment over the A85.
His actions – universally praised as a key component in avoiding a more serious incident following the landslip - led to him being honoured last night as Frontline Employee of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards 2010.
ScotRail received two other awards at the gala dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow:
· Steve Montgomery, managing director, was honoured for his Outstanding contribution to national transport in Scotland, and:
· ScotRail’s marketing team won the Marketing and travel planning award for its "bag a bargain" flat fare travel promotion with Sainsbury’s.
Speaking after the ceremony, Willie Dickson said he was proud to receive the award, and thanked those who had put his name forward.
"There has been a lot written about me, and I’ve never been one for the limelight," the married grandfather said. "Even though it’s great to receive this award, I would rather the incident had never happened."
Willie also paid tribute to his on board colleagues - conductor Angus MacColl, from Oban and hospitality host Drew Hinde, of Glasgow. "They were magnificent," he said. "It was a real team effort, and they did a brilliant job in difficult circumstances.
"My thanks also go to all the passengers who helped out as well, ensuring that everyone disembarked safely. Everyone looked out for each other."
Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, said the actions of Willie and his co-workers were a credit to the company: "They did what they needed to do to keep the incident under control. It is what all of our staff are trained for, but their performance when faced with an actual emergency was exemplary."
Media enquiries
Carla Rinaldi: 0141 335 5156 / carla.rinaldi@firstgroup.com
Notes to Editors
The Scottish Transport Awards, in association with Transport Times magazine, are now in their eighth year
