NSAR’s Quality Assurance function doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. The QA team perform a vital role in assuring the safety of rail training and supporting the standards that keep our people and passengers safe.
It can be hard to get quality assurance right. It takes pragmatism and requires a balance of light touch and being thorough enough to assure safety. I want to acknowledge our hard-working QA team who got this balance right, day in and day out, across 208 visits in the 2023/24 year.
Their focus extends to continuous improvement of services; working with training providers to ensure we deliver for them and for the industry. QA was an integral part of NSAR achieving our ISO 44001 accreditation that investigates how effectively we are collaborating as an organisation. Acknowledgement is also due to the many providers delivering great training. The rail industry benefits from high-quality trainers and training providers who bring insights from years of experience.
When you are buying training, look at NSAR’s ratings of providers – the rail training industry’s equivalent of Trip Advisor. These can provide confidence that you are investing in great training for your people.
With the election coming up next month, there are a few policy areas we are keeping an eye on. The future of Great British Railways is top of mind, as well as infrastructure investment commitments and Labour’s plans to merge the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Come to our virtual webinar on 27 June, when Ed Hughes (NSAR’s Head of Engagement and Policy), Andy Bagnall (Chief Executive of Rail Partners) and James McGowan (Public Affairs and PR Director at the Railway Industry Association) will discuss the upcoming election and how its outcome might affect the industry. Bring all your thoughts and questions.
Neil Robertson
NSAR Chief Executive