Championing People and Workforce Excellence at RailStaff Awards 2026

For the third consecutive year, Carlisle Support Services is proud to stand behind the RailStaff Awards 2026, celebrating the exceptional people who keep the rail industry moving every day.

This year, we are delighted to be sponsoring the People and Workforce Team or Person Award, which will be presented on Thursday 26th November 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.

With over 2,500 of our staff members working within a rail setting, the work of the RailStaff Awards to ensure that staff at all levels are celebrated is pivotal. Every rail journey relies on a wide range of individuals, from train operators and station staff to cleaners and security personnel. The RailStaff Awards recognise exceptional contributions from colleagues in every role across the railway.

Recognising these contributions is central to building a stronger and more inclusive rail industry. That is why, this year, we have chosen to sponsor the People and Workforce Team or Person Award. As a company built on a people-first approach, this particular category will allow us to help celebrate individuals or teams who really go that step further with their workforce. This could be through creating a resilient and adaptable workforce or championing colleagues at every level, ensuring they feel engaged, valued and recognised for their contributions, similarly to our own commitment to put our people at the forefront of every operation.

Speaking about Carlisle’s ongoing support for the awards and the value of celebrating the people at the heart of the railway, Steve Cere said:

“As Director of Transport, I see firsthand the vital role our people play in keeping the railway clean, safe, reliable and welcoming for passengers every day. Behind every successful journey is a collective effort built on professionalism, care and a deep commitment to excellence.

Supporting the RailStaff Awards is an opportunity to recognise those individuals and teams who go above and beyond, not only delivering operational performance but shaping a positive, inclusive and forward-looking culture across our industry.

I would strongly encourage colleagues and partners alike to take this opportunity to celebrate the people who truly make a difference.”

Nominations remain open until Sunday, 6th September. If you know an individual or team making a meaningful difference within the rail industry, now is the opportunity to ensure their achievements receive the recognition they deserve.

Alternatively, you can review past success at the RailStaff Awards with the following articles from 2025:

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Event Planning and Management

Providing flexible, on-demand support to help organisations build resilience, mitigate risks, and adapt to the ever-changing political, socio-economic, and environmental landscape to deliver seamless event experiences. 

  • Access and egress control
  • Bag search
  • Behavioural detection officers
  • Build and break security
  • Car park marshalling
  • Counter-terrorism risk assessments
  • Directional staff
  • Event controllers
  • Flow management
  • Hospitality stewards
  • Location planning
  • Night security
  • Response teams
  • Scanner and arch operations
  • Search dogs – explosive and drugs
  • Search management
  • Tout patrols
  • VIP management

Arboriculture Tree Work

Managing trees and vegetation for the UK’s public infrastructure and commercial spaces.

  • Hedge cutting
  • Tree felling and tagging
  • Tree surgery

Vegetation

Delivering aesthetically pleasing environments whilst eliminating potential hazards and operational disruptions caused by vegetation.

  • Grass cutting and moving
  • Hedge cutting and maintenance
  • Invasive weed management
  • Moss removal and treatment
  • Trackside clearance
  • Waste and site clearance
  • Weed control

General Security

Provide fully vetted, accredited officers equipped with the latest technologies to secure and protect your people, premises, assets and the wider public.

  • Access and egress control
  • Alarm monitoring and response
  • CCTV monitoring
  • Front of house
  • Gatehouse management
  • Mobile support
  • Reception
  • Security patrols
  • Short-term security
  • Static and mobile guarding

Advanced Security

Providing bespoke services that identify site specific vulnerabilities and address complex challenges to mitigate risks. 

  • Cash in transit
  • CCTV/systems audits
  • Counter-terrorism audits
  • Penetration testing
  • Protester management
  • Search and detection dogs
  • Security audits
  • Security strategy

Possession Management
and FM Services

Maintaining high facility standards and minimising service disruptions across the UK rail network.

  • Canopy gutter clearance
  • LED lighting replacement
  • Minor ‘first-fix’ handyman provision
  • Station white lining 
  • Track-bed litter picking 
  • Vegetation clearance

Cleaning

Delivering exceptionally clean environments at optimal cost and positive environmental footprint with unrivalled quality control across nationwide operations.

  • Decontamination cleaning
  • Depot cleaning
  • Graffiti removal and window filming
  • Specialist mobile cleaning
  • Station cleaning
  • Toilet cleaning (incl. CET tanking)
  • Train presentation
  • Turnaround and in-transit cleaning
  • Window cleaning
  • Winterisation and snow clearance

Security and Customer Facing Services

Delivering seamless passenger experiences whilst protecting revenue and achieving operational excellence. 

  • Byelaw enforcement officers
  • Car parking enforcement and management
  • Counter-terrorism patrol officers
  • Customer service staff
  • Mobile response teams
  • Rail replacement co-ordinators
  • Rail security officers
  • Revenue protection/ enforcement teams
  • Station and depot security officers
  • Station event mgmt. and crowd control
  • Ticket office staff
  • Ticket vending machine fingertip maintenance (incl. ticket stock replenishment)
  • Ticketless travel surveys
  • Train dispatch (safety-critical)
  • Travel safety officers (incl. RSAS)

Event Planning

Providing flexible, on-demand support to help organisations build resilience, mitigate risks, and adapt to the ever-changing political, socio-economic, and environmental landscape. 

  • Build and break security
  • Counter-terrorism risk assessments
  • Flow management
  • Location planning

Crowd Control

Deploying balanced crowd management strategies for optimal safety and seamless visitor experiences.

  • Announcers
  • Crowd pulsing
  • Customer service
  • Platform & concourse management
  • Queue layouts
  • Queue management
  • Train capacity management

Event Management

Delivering seamless visitor experiences across the UK’s biggest venues, stadiums and exhibition centres.  

  • Access and egress control
  • Bag search
  • Behavioural detection officers
  • Car park marshalling
  • Directional staff
  • Event controllers
  • Hospitality stewards
  • Night security
  • Response teams
  • Scanner and arch operations
  • Search dogs – explosive and drugs
  • Search management Tout patrols
  • VIP management

Car Park Management

Transforming customer journeys with innovative car parking solutions that maximise operational control and revenue.

  • Access control
  • Automatic Number Plate
  • Recognition (ANPR)
  • Barriers
  • Cash counters
  • CCTV
  • Consumables
  • Handheld computer terminals
  • Kiosks
  • Pass key and card readers
  • Pay and display
  • Pay by phone
  • Pay on foot
  • Rising step barriers
  • Sign manufacture
  • Ticket management
  • Wheel clamps

Vegetation & Landscaping

Enhancing and maintaining site aesthetics for optimal nature, commercial infrastructure, and community harmony. We aim to deliver beautiful scenery whilst eliminating potential hazards and operational disruptions caused by vegetation.

  • Grass cutting and moving
  • Hedge cutting and maintenance
  • Invasive weed management
  • Moss removal and treatment
  • Tree felling and tagging
  • Tree surgery
  • Waste and site clearance
  • Weed control

Cleaning & Facilities

We streamline cleaning and facilities services that help organisations maintain exceptional standards across single and multi-site operations.

  • Daily and periodic cleans
  • Deep cleaning
  • Drug paraphernalia removal
  • Fogging services
  • Graffiti removal
  • Gum removal
  • Gutter cleaning
  • High-level cleaning
  • Lamp post cleaning
  • Lighting, electrical and washroom
  • Maintenance services and minor repairs
  • Painting
  • Planned maintenance
  • Pressure washing
  • Stair cleaning
  • Steam cleaning
  • Trauma cleaning
  • Waste removal
  • Window cleaning

Security & Monitoring Systems

We offer a total turnkey solution from initial design and product selection through to installation and commissioning. Our customers benefit from benefit from around-the-clock protection for optimal peace of mind that comes from working with a trusted alarm monitoring service.

  • Access control
  • Alarm monitoring
  • Asset tracking
  • Barriers and gates
  • Body worn cameras
  • CCTV monitoring
  • CCTV router solution
  • CCTV systems
  • Integrated security solutions
  • Intruder alarms
  • Lone worker solution
  • Panic alarm/call assist
  • Technical support desk

Fire Protection

Our range of fire life safety solutions are designed to prevent, detect and contain fire and where necessary enable a safe and timely escape.

From the initial Fire Risk Assessment through to the design and installation of fire detection and fire suppression systems and ongoing maintenance and monitoring contracts, we provide you with a one stop fire protection solution.

  • Aspirating systems
  • Disabled toilet alarms
  • Dry risers
  • Emergency lighting
  • Emergency voice alarms
  • Fire alarms
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Fire hydrants
  • Fire risk assessments
  • Fire safety training
  • Fire suppression
  • Flow switch testing
  • Sprinklers
  • Water mist systems

Security

From security-cleared operations with MOD-affiliated organisations to supporting the UK’s rail infrastructure and securing the Highest Court of the British Isles alongside countless major venues across the UK, we provide fully vetted, accredited officers equipped with the latest technologies to secure and protect your people, premises, assets and the wider public. 

  • Alarm monitoring and response
  • CCTV monitoring
  • CCTV/systems audits
  • Counter-terrorism audits
  • Front of house
  • Gatehouse management
  • Mobile support
  • Penetration testing
  • Protester management
  • Reception
  • Search and detection dogs
  • Security audits
  • Security patrols
  • Security strategy
  • Short-term security
  • Static and mobile guarding

Specialist Cleaning

Fulfilling the most complex single and multi-site cleaning requirements at an award-winning standard for over 30 years.

  • Biohazard cleaning
  • Deep cleaning
  • Planned maintenance
  • Drug paraphernalia removal
  • Fogging services
  • Graffiti removal
  • Gum removal
  • Gutter cleaning
  • High-level cleaning
  • Lamp post cleaning
  • Stair cleaning
  • Trauma cleaning
  • Waste removal

Facilities Management

Providing an extensive range of Soft and Hard FM services to help you streamline management and eliminate operational disruptions. 

  • Lighting, electrical and washroom
  • Maintenance services and minor repairs
  • Painting
  • White and yellow line painting

General Cleaning

Undertaking routine cleaning to maintain the highest standards in cleanliness and hygiene for exceptional environments. 

  • Daily and periodic cleans
  • Pressure washing
  • Steam cleaning
  • Window cleaning