It’s been a busy start to the year here at AARC Professional Services Limited, with February bringing completion of the Health and Safety Guide for Network Rail’s System Operator (special thanks to Associates Liz Parkes and Emma Somers), whilst later this month both myself and Training Specialist Greg Edwards will be attending the Railway Industry Association’s Innovation Conference in Wales.
Held on 26th and 27th March at the ICC Wales in Newport, the Conference brings together industry leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs and passionate railway professionals to share innovations and inspire attendees with technological and research advancements from the UK and further afield. It also features keynote speakers and an expanded exhibition section for innovators to highlight their products and services, as well as tech talks, research/development/innovation showcases, a future focus zone and evening networking and dinner.
Whilst AARC has already been involved in a number of events and exhibitions, this will be our first appearance at a major rail industry event in Wales and is one we’re really looking forward to attending. It’s also the perfect opportunity for Greg and I to highlight our work across rail operations and training and how we can help clients deliver outstanding outcomes.
One such example of that work to date has been our support for Amey Infrastructure Wales, which has involved the recruitment, training and assessment of dedicated Electrical Control Operator (ECO) resource to manage electrical supply and emergency response for the newly-installed OLE and associated infrastructure as part of the upgrade of the Core Valley Lines. The upgrade itself involved the provision of 25Kv OLE electrification and the siting of an electrical control room (ECR) at a new integrated control centre (ICC) at Taffs Well.
Back to the Innovation Conference, where we’re looking forward to showcase our different approach to training and the delivery of bespoke courses designed to meet each individual client’s specific requirements through a combination of technical and non-technical skills. We’ll also be taking the opportunity to raise the company profile, making more people aware of our collective commitment to provide strategic and expert technical advice across a range of disciplines, from frontline to boardroom, built upon over five decades of industry experience. If you’re attending on the 26th/27th March, please do seek us out – you’ll be assured of a warm welcome.
Back to the ‘day job’ and as part of AARC’s continuing self-development and commitment to clients, we are looking to further cement our credentials as a supplier of high-quality consultancy services to the rail industry with a move towards ISO 9001 certification for our quality management systems. ISO 9001 itself is a globally recognized standard for quality management, designed to help organizations of all sizes and sectors improve performance, meet customer expectations and demonstrate commitment to quality, with those achieving it required to demonstrate how to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a quality management system (QMS).
As an organisation dedicated to delivering outstanding outcomes, it’s essential that we are able to illustrate our understanding of what good quality management systems look like, hence our commitment to achieving ISO 9001 certification. Not only is this a further demonstration of our professional credentials, which already includes Cyber Essentials, but it is also a clear sign of our commitment to provide our clients with the very highest levels of service. Running throughout the year, this workstream is being led by our Transport Systems and HSQE Specialist Liz Parkes and we will of course keep you updated on progress.
