Nexus has been highly commended for its huge efforts to repair the Metro system after June’s devastating storms and flooding.
The commendation was given to Nexus in the team of the year category at the Light Rail awards in London.
DBTW, which operates Metro on behalf of Nexus, was highly commended in best customer initiative category for the launch of Facebook and Twitter travel alerts.
Nexus Rail Director, Raymond Johnstone, said: “Our staff pulled out all the stops after June’s dreadful storms, so I am delighted their efforts have been recognised in this way.
“We showed that Nexus will do everything humanly possible to maintain the Metro service no matter how bad the weather conditions.
“There was a very high standard of entries at the Light Rail Awards from around the UK, so it is a source of great pride to be shortlisted.”
Nexus staff worked through the night after Tyneside was hit by severe rain storms that caused widespread flash flooding. The storm forced the whole Metro system to be shut down.
Nexus workers had to shift 30 tonnes of debris from the tracks at Heworth, working with their bare hands and calling in help from office-based colleagues and modernisation contractor Balfour Beatty Rail.
Elsewhere teams came together to check and restore points and track circuits and ensure the track and overhead line was safe for operation.
Call centre and Shields Ferry staff also helped look after customers caught up in the aftermath of the storm.
Metro trains were running again only 12 hours after the storm had subsided, prompting a flurry of ‘thank you’ emails and texts from customers.
Richard McClean, Managing Director of DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which operates the Metro on behalf of Nexus, said: “I am very pleased that the efforts of our staff to keep passengers updated with real time travel information, via social media, has been recognised by the Light Rail Awards.
“Keeping customers updated is vital to maintaining the high levels of customer service we always strive to provide.
“I think Metro users find the information we provide on Facebook and Twitter extremely useful, because it is real time information.
“The updates on social media are never more important than during times of major disruption such as the unprecedented situation we were in as a result of the summer’s floods, when we worked closely with our colleagues at Nexus to not only get the services back up and running, but also to keep passengers informed.”