Train passengers have been learning about the history and landmarks of Hull, thanks to the in-depth knowledge of an On Board Manager who has earned praise for his commitment to improving customer service.

Dominic Russell, On Board Manager for Hull Trains, has been educating and informing passengers with a string of facts about the local region, and the history of the trains on which people are travelling, as they travel to and from London King’s Cross. His dedication saw Dominic pick up the ‘Committed to Customers’ accolade at the recent Hull Trains’ Excellence Awards.

Each of the company’s trains was last year given a name that was significant to the Humber and East Yorkshire region, following a public vote last year. Since then, Dominic has spent his own time learning more about each of the names, which include William Wilberforce, Amy Johnson and Jean Bishop – The Bee Lady, and has shared this knowledge with customers.

Dominic was one of seven individuals and teams who lifted a trophy at the recent Excellence Awards, held at The Deep in Hull. Other winners included an On Board team who delivered first aid to a passenger, and a long-serving colleague who has been integral to Hull Trains’ 22-year history. Colleagues were nominated by their own teammates.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director, said: “Dominic is truly deserving of his award for such a unique contribution, but it was very difficult to single out individuals as everyone at Hull Trains has played a part in delivering the exceptional service customers have come to expect from us. Our teams have faced numerous challenges in recent years and the Excellence Awards was a way of saying thank you to everyone who has gone above and beyond, whilst also recognising the long service of a number of colleagues. We really could have handed out an award to everyone who works for our company as there was such a high standard of nominations!”

Hull Trains has announced the full list of winners at its Excellence Awards:

Dedicated to Safety Award – On Board team of Ged Welsh (Driver), Jane Pockley (On Board Manager), Michaela Phillips (On Board Host) for the outstanding support and professional handling of a very distressing incident involving customers.

Accountable for Performance – Gemma Scott (Planning and Performance Manager), who developed and maintained our timetable planning and resource plans to keep Hull Trains services running during multiple challenges including significant changes to timetables in the face of disruption across the wider rail network.

Supportive of Each Other – Jeanette Hepworth (On Board Manager), for the support she continually gives to her colleagues and for always being ‘at the heart’ of the traincrew.

Setting High Standards – Patrick Tobin and his On Board Host team, for the professionalism they show in everything they do and for achieving a 5-star food safety audit rating.

Rising Star – Josh Garner (Commercial Analyst), for his proactive approach resulting in delivering commercial initiatives to help drive more customers to use Hull Trains services.

Shining Star – Kevin Diles (Driver Instructor), a much-loved, long-serving colleague who has been an integral part of Hull Trains since its very first journey.