RailUK awards 2009 - results

[Mojo]

Thank you all for voting in the awards and I'm pleased to announce the results as below.

For the 2009 awards, categories 14 and 15 were added to ask what you thought were the best and worst events of the decade.

See you in December 2010!

1. TOC of the year
   Wrexham & Shropshire 45%
2. Railtour of the year
   Retro Avon Grid (Retro Railtours) 41%
3. Railway related site of the year
   RailUK - http://www.railforums.co.uk/ 55%
4. Gallery of the year
   Snapper - http://paulbigland.fotopic.net/ 48%
5. Best railway debut of the year
   High Speed 1 Domestic services 51%
6. Most disappointing event of the year
   Demise of Class 60s 40%
7. Most surprising working
   Cumbrian flooding loco hauled services 48%
8. Best railway media (TV or Radio) piece
   Top Gear Tornado/car/motorbike race 58%
9. Best station
   London St Pancras 46%
10. Railway event of the year
    National Express being stripped of East Coast franchise 44%
11. Railway journalist of the year
    Roger Ford 39%
12. Meet of the year
    Zone 1 Tube Challenge 50%
13. Thread of the year
    'Grand Central Discussion' - http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15690 40%
14. Most disappointing event of the decade
    Demise of GNER on the East Coast 38%
15. Best event of the decade
    Opening of High Speed 1 47%

 

[37401]

Well done to snapper for his win

 

[Aictos]

Would have though Virgin and the DfT would have won the Most Disappointing Event of the Decade quite easily thanks to Operation Princess, it might have been a success if Virgin got the stock they wanted.
Still, congrats to all the winners,

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Well done to RailUK (although we may be a little biased...)

and to Me! My meet won! I'm all pleased

 

[FlyingScot]

What!? I didn't win? Well that's dissapointing.:cry:

 

[Snapper]

And thank you to those who voted for my website! I'll do my best to keep it as interesting in 2010.

 

[Ferret]

Demise of the 60s?! They're still in traffic!!!!

 

[37401]

Demise of the 60s?! They're still in traffic!!!!

for now , you wont be saying that come 2045 will you, ahh think about it!

 

[Ferret]

In 2045 I'll be drawing a pension I hope!!!!! Probably watching the demise of the 70s as I do so! What a bizarre thought!

 

[37401]

In 2045 I'll be drawing a pension I hope!!!!! Probably watching the demise of the 70s as I do so! What a bizarre thought!

Aye very true indeed, youll be telling the wee wee ones "when I was your age we had 66`s 67`s 60`s and 70`s (oh and 37 47 ect ect) now all you have is those 300mph chinese mag-lev hover trains, when I was your age we had to make do with 125mph!"

I was going to say by 2025 but you just never know, by then 60`s may still be around

 

[Ferret]

You can keep the 66s and 67s!!! It was 31s, 37s, 47s, 56s, 58s and 60s over Sutton Park that I spent my childhood watching. Where photography is concerned, I wish I knew then what I know now!!!

 

[37401]

You can keep the 66s and 67s!!! It was 31s, 37s, 47s, 56s, 58s and 60s over Sutton Park that I spent my childhood watching. Where photography is concerned, I wish I knew then what I know now!!!

Yeah, I regret getting shots of 37s at BHM, 304s at Glasgow, ICS 43 at Glasgow and so on, yeah I dont want the 66s 67s either gimme my 37s on the sutton park, Grey 56 at Preston and 37s at crewe anyday thats what got me into trains

 

[FlyingScot]

Probably watching the demise of the 70s as I do so!

And the scary thing is, even if all the new trains are going, the H.S.T.s will still be there(Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!).

 

[LMS6202]

In 2045 I'll be drawing a pension I hope!!!!! Probably watching the demise of the 70s as I do so! What a bizarre thought!

In 2045 I'll be 100. Still puffing along I hope

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Just had to laugh at 'Railway event of the year' "National express being stripped of the East Coast franchise" I could of thought of plenty of other better things!

 

[37401]

Just had to laugh at 'Railway event of the year' "National express being stripped of the East Coast franchise" I could of thought of plenty of other better things!

did you not nominate then?

 

[Tom B]

Just had to laugh at 'Railway event of the year' "National express being stripped of the East Coast franchise" I could of thought of plenty of other better things!

Such as? I'd say one of the country's most important franchises being taken off a poor operator is pretty important...

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Back after a prolonged railforums absence. Unfortunately, this has meant that i missed the voting. Noth that it probably would have made much difference!!

Wrexham and Shropshire. TOC of the year. Seriously? After a year where they have cut back the number of services they operate. And, let's be honest, they do not exactly provide the most efficient method of travel between Wales and London. Disappointing. In my opinion, there are much more deserving operators.

Best station - St.Pancras. I can't help feeling that this has won due to its high profile. Admittedly, the refurbished train shed is outstanding. But that is the only good thing about it. It has absolutely zero atmosphere, the statue at the front is ghastly, the domestic extension is cold and unwelcoming, the signs are incredibly confusing to an English person, let alone a foreign visitor, it is still ridiculously difficult to get into the tube - again due to confusing signs (importantly, all foreign language signs stop as soon as you get to the tube, which, for an international gateway, is totally unacceptable) and there is no escaping the feeling that you are in an expensive (though extremely pleasant) shopping mall that happens to have a station.

Can't argue with the rest, really. The loss of GNER was the beginning of the demise of the East Coast route - a route I no longer use due to falling standards (the car is now a much cheaper and more convenient means of travel than the East Coast). I can't help feeling that the class 60's are just an unloved and unwanted leaving present from BR - a little bit like a christmas puppy with worms, adorable but ultimately expensive and in need of constant attention. High speed 1 is a glimpse of what we can acheive if and when this country is able to get itself together and do something useful - what the future of rail travel in the uk should look like.