To say that time flies is an understatement, with 2024 a whirlwind year for AARC Professional Services, starting the year celebrating the 10th anniversary of our formation and ending it with ISO9001 certification – official recognition of our commitment to outstanding quality management systems. As a rail consultancy ‘run by railway people for railway people,’ the last 12 months have also seen us grow both the team and our service offering as we continue to deliver outstanding outcomes for all of our clients.
Drawing strength from the time-served experience and knowledge of our associates – all experts in their respective fields – it has been genuinely both exciting and rewarding to see our pool of talent grow to 35 strong, whilst the range of services provided has expanded to include Rail Infrastructure, alongside Rail Operations, Business Change & Projects, Rail Operations Training and Safety & Assurance. A RISQS verified supplier, we also hold Cyber Essentials certification, are a proud member of the Railway Industry Association and, as mentioned earlier, have been awarded ISO 9001 certification in recognition of our quality management systems. A huge ‘thank you and congratulations’ to all those who have made this a reality, not least our HSQE lead Liz Parkes who has been heading up the work on ISO 9001 on behalf of the business.
Workwise, 2024 has been a challenging year for us, although speaking to colleagues from the SME (small and medium sized enterprises) community, most have felt the impact of what has been a particularly lean period for new work. In many ways, the first half of the year saw a perfect storm; a new control period starting in April, followed by a general election bringing with it continuing uncertainty in rail project funding and the future direction of the pending Great British Railways (GBR). Network Rail is also facing significant funding challenges following the latest Control Period (CP7) determination, as well as its role in the transition to GBR. It’s this transition which I believe will see a need for the newly formed GBR to pro-actively engage with the SME community, enabling ourselves and others like us to help shape and support the future development of rail in the UK. With this in mind however and set against the backdrop of the challenges mentioned, 2024 has still been a productive year for the business, with our team of associates working on over 20 assignments across a number of clients, including:
- Operational training courses for Amey Infrastructure Wales (AIW) in support of its work on the Core Valley Lines
- Health & Safety related works for Network Rail (NR), Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) and AIW, including the production of a dedicated Health & Safety Guide for NR’s System Operator function
- Rail Operations support for NR, AIW and JFRail
- Rail Infrastructure and engineering support to United Living, Rolfe Contracting, RfLI, AIW and NR
- Business Change & Project support to AIW, NR and RfLI
In respect of building the AARCPS brand, the last 12 months has seen the adoption of a dedicated marketing strategy, with activity centred around a combination of social media (regular blogs, posts on LinkedIn etc), public relations (including trade press liaison and advertorials) and direct marketing (e.g. attendance at trade events/conferences such as the RIA Annual Conference and Rail Infrastructure Networking event in Derby), all helping to further cement our reputation across the industry. We have also launched a new promotional video and strengthened our website to reflect the changes to our service offering, with further improvements planned for 2025, including a focus on our dedicated YouTube channel. On the back of all this, a shout out to Nigel Barber who has been leading the marketing on behalf of the business and to Quick by Design’s Dan Bullock for driving and leading the website and social media work.
So as 2024 draws to a close and with it our first decade of trading, we now focus on the future, with a determination to grow and continually improve the quality of services that we provide. We also look forward to working with existing clients, strengthening and developing relationships based on trust and delivery excellence, whilst demonstrating to prospective clients the value that AARCPS can bring to their respective businesses. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients to date who have put their faith in us – we don’t take it for granted and really appreciate the way you welcome us into your organisations. But I’ll reserve the final word for the AARC Professional Services team – without you and the collaborative behaviours you demonstrate on each assignment, this business wouldn’t exist. Here’s to the next 10 years!
Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and the very best for the New Year.
