ISSUE:
Raise the awareness and profile of a £60m investment in new build trains between Manchester and Scotland providing more capacity and journey opportunities for customers.

SOLUTION:
Press, stakeholder, colleague and customer campaign from initial announcement, through the manufacture programme and culminating in the introduction of the new fleet into service. This included identification and promotion of benefits through media releases and interview, political and business engagement and presentation, creation of digitial assets, social media messaging and live customer engagement at rail stations across the north of England and into Scotland.

IMPACT:
​Over 300 positive media stories, 60 plus MPs briefed, presentations to Chambers of Commerce, operational and management colleagues engaged and 400,000 customers informed of the benefits and investment.

ISSUE:
Counter negative customer perception about rail capacity by leading an engagement campaign for the introduction of 90,000 extra seats a week across the north of England.

SOLUTION:
Using a multi million pound investment programme and significant timetable change the campaign focused on listening to and acknowledging customer concerns and demonstrating a timeline for improvement. Proactive broadcast and media engagement across the north, infographics and digital assets, station engagement events and stakeholder awareness campaign all used to tell the story that change was coming. Significant internal communications to encouraging front line staff to act as ambassadors and spread the good news and headline messages.

IMPACT:
​Un-precedented media coverage of a timetable change and bespoke messaging delivered for all areas of the network. Customer perception about availability of seats improved in the next round of the National Passenger Survey and an increase in the organisations net promoter score achieved.

ISSUE:
Promote key safety messages after a train driver suffered a heart attack and fell un-conscious at the healm of a express train between Hull and Leeds.

SOLUTION:
Quickly and in an accessible and non-jargon manner explain that modern trains are fitted with numerous fail safe mechanisms meaning that despite the driver becoming incapacitated no passengers were at risk and the train brought itself to a safe stop.

IMPACT:
​Numerous media and press stories on the day and immediate aftermath focusing on safe operation but followed by additional positive messaging around the on board conductor's actions and the importance of his training (leading to him winning a number of industry awards). The incident featured on BBC's Helicopter Heroes daytime programme and the driver subsequently raised significant funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance providing further media opportunities around Community and Social Responsibility.