Cedrec helps Virgin Trains deliver continuous improvement of environmental performance

The press release below was issued by Cedrec on 22 May 2014 and is reproduced here with permission.

Cedrec keeps train operator on track over environmental legislation

West Coast train operator Virgin Trains has improved the way it navigates complex environmental legislation after turning to online specialists Cedrec to produce a new legal register.

Virgin Trains is owned by Virgin Group (51%) and Stagecoach (49%) and has operated the Intercity West Coast franchise since 1997. The company runs long-distance passenger services on the West Coast main line between  London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland.

The service connects London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow as well as Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, which have a combined metropolitan population of over 18 million people.

Virgin Trains was awarded certification to the internationally recognised ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard in January 2014.

The decision to produce the new legal register in 2013 with support from Cedrec has proved to be an asset, enabling Virgin Trains to record and note amendments or changes to legislation in a way that can be understood better by those with ISO 14001 responsibility and provide greater clarity about how these will impact on a business employing more than 3,000 people and operating 17 railway stations between Rugby and Carlisle.

The move has boosted the provision and quality of information and guidance on waste management legislation, climate change and carbon reduction commitments available to the three-strong Safety and Environment Department team which operates company-wide.

It is critical Virgin Trains stays abreast of important environmental changes to ensure its rail operations and customer services are properly controlled and responsibly managed, ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

The company has been benefiting from Cedrec’s services since November 2013, linking directly to the firm’s database for regular legal updates and highlighted sections which can be accessed and revisited for future reference.

Cedrec also provides support for organisations such as Virgin Trains through the production of registers of legislation, subscription bulletins and advice on other relevant issues which provide clarity regarding the maintenance of, and compliance, with ISO 14001 and other systems.

Simarjeet Kaur, Virgin Trains’ environment and sustainability manager, sees the value of Cedrec’s expertise as integral to improving company-wide environmental compliance, welcoming the benefits provided.

“Railway legislation is notoriously complex, so there’s no doubt that the new register has been essential in flagging up legislation that’s relevant to us and helping us to understand better what’s required,” said Simarjeet.

“Producing a legal register can be a minefield but Cedrec’s expertise has made the whole process easier. Their ability to provide easy-to-understand analysis and interpretation of complex and technical rules and regulations in digestible and intelligible bulletins is not only excellent but also ensures we’re always compliant.”

She added that the summaries and subtext breakdowns provided are clear and comprehensive and can, if necessary, be expanded to reveal more detail and analysis.

The extended support and highly personalised service provided by Cedrec’s experts is a feature that’s also caught the eye according to Simarjeet.

“Cedrec’s website is easy-to-use while the team is very supportive providing a highly personalised service that certainly makes understanding compliance requirements much easier. They are responsive, replying quickly to enquiries with a comprehensive summary which includes a number of marked-up sections to highlight relevant factors,” said Simarjeet.

“Cedrec have ultimately improved our ability to comply with environmental legislation. Simply put, they have made complex legislation understandable and accessible enabling me to link up better with other departments to provide comprehensive support on compliance matters.”

Cedrec specialises in providing public and private sector organisations with help and advice in understanding, interpreting and complying with environmental and safety legislation. The company offers a range of specialist consultancy and subscriptions services. More also at http://www.cedrec.com/

ENDS

Note to editors - Cedrec

·  Sunderland-based Cedrec takes environmental and safety legislation from the UK and Europe and makes it easy to understand.

·  Specialising in both subscriptions and as consultants, they can help you with legal compliance if you have a management system like ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001 in place, or you’re working towards one.

·  Cedrec’s online system is updated daily as new legislation and policy comes in. As a subscriber, customers can locate and access all the information required using a unique structure, clear menus and custom built search engine.

·  A one-to-one consultancy service covers key aspects of management systems including legislation compliance reviews, registers of legislation, gap analysis, aspects and impacts and even desk research.

·  Environmental legislation: Cedrec Environmental provides plain English information on legislation to enable subscribers to understand and stay up-to-date with ever changing environmental law and its implications. Cedrec Environmental is beneficial to all organisations but especially those seeking to gain or maintain accreditation to ISO 14001 or similar environmental management systems.

·  Health and Safety legislation:Arranged in an accessible format, Cedrec Health & Safety provides a constant source of reference and assurance for all industries. This includes summaries, amended full text, ACOPs and Guidance for both members and non-members of IOSH.

Reader enquiries:Cedrec Information Systems Ltd, Business and Innovation Centre, Sunderland Enterprise Park (East), Wearfield, Sunderland SR5 2TA. Tel: 0191 516 6124 or http://www.cedrec.com/

Media enquiries: Andy Bruce, MHW PR Ltd. Tel: 0191 233 1300. Fax: 0191 233 9530. Email andy@mhwpr.co.uk

Notes to editors – Virgin Trains

Virgin Trains has revolutionised rail travel by creating a high speed, high frequency service that has cut journey times and made rail journeys more comfortable. It has operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997, serving key UK cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Glasgow.

Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group (VRG), which is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach. The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded VRG a franchise contract, which started on 9 December 2012 and was initially due to run for up to 23 months. The Transport Secretary announced on 26 March 2013 that it will be extended until April 2017, when a new long-term West Coast franchise is expected to start.

Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous awards. In October 2013 Business Traveller magazine readers voted the company the Best UK Domestic Rail Operator for the seventh year running. In 2011 the company was named Best Rail Operator in the Group Leisure Awards (which it also won in 2009 and 2010). In 2011 Virgin Trains won the British Quality Foundation's Achievement Award for Customer Satisfaction.

Customers consistently rate the company the top long-distance rail franchise operator, as measured by the National Passenger Survey (NPS) run by industry watchdog Passenger Focus. In the most recent NPS (Autumn 2013) overall satisfaction was 91%, meaning the company has remained unbeaten over nine successive surveys in the long-distance franchise category.

Virgin Trains was awarded certification to the internationally recognised ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard in January 2014.

Virgin Trains first achieved Investors In People accreditation in 2007 and this was renewed in 2010; the IIP Gold award was achieved in 2011 and again in October 2013. In May 2013 Virgin Trains renewed its accreditation against the criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model, which it originally achieved in May 2011. The company’s Learning and Development team won a National Training Awards 2011 West Midlands award for its Coaching Culture programme.

For more information about Virgin Trains visit the company’s website http://www.virgintrains.com/ or the Media Room website www.virgintrains.com/mediaroom for news, press releases and the company factsheet. To receive content live, as and when it is published, you can sign up to follow us. Go to Follow Virgin Trains and click on ‘Create account’.

For further media information contact the Virgin Trains’ Press Office on 0845 000 3333.