Virgin Trains has topped two categories for innovative projects on its east coast route at the UK Rail Industry Awards 2018.

Bringing together leaders from across the industry, the UK Rail Industry Awards celebrates excellence and innovation across the industry.

Virgin Trains was recognised in the Training and Development category for Project AURA, as it leads the way in preparing the east coast route and the wider industry for the transition to in-cab signalling, European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS); and the arrival of Azuma trains later this year.

The long-distance operator also received the Design Innovation Award for its project to replace traditional axle testing with Eddy current testing and surface wave methods – an industry-first in the UK, which allows non-destructive testing of axles and improves efficiency.

Nicola McGuiness-Brown, Head of Innovation at Virgin Trains on the east coast, said: “At Virgin Trains we like to challenge the status quo and are always looking at ways to transform rail journeys. We’re delighted to have been recognised for our innovation and we look forward to seeing the end results of our projects – particularly with the arrival of our Azuma trains.”