The annual Golden Spanner awards are held by Modern Railways magazine in a bid to acknowledge the industry’s very best in fleet teams across the country including train maintenance practices and reliability.

The event saw each winning depot alongside colleagues from both Fleet Engineering and Fleet Performance come together with over 350 representatives from across the rail industry at the special award event which takes place in London.

South Western Railway won four Golden Spanners for the most reliable trains in the categories below:

• Ex BR DMU – Salisbury Depot for the Class 158/9 diesel fleets
• Ex-BR EMU – Wimbledon Depot for the Class 455 electric fleet
• Second generation new EMU – Wimbledon Depot for the Class 707 electric fleet
• Wild Card, repurposed traction – Ryde St. Johns Road Depot for the Class 484 fleet

The awards were earned due to tremendous performance by the entire South Western Railway Fleet team with special recognition going to the rail operator’s colleagues on the Isle of Wight who took home their very first Golden Spanner award for the repurposed rolling stock category only one year after beginning work on the Island Line’s Class 484 fleet.

James Wale, SWR’s Head of Fleet Delivery said: “Reliable trains are a key part of delivering the consistent service our customers want and expect from us, so I’d like to congratulate all of those colleagues that have worked so hard to achieve this recognition.”