Highways

Project-Focused Staffing Solutions to Meet South Eastern Railwayʼs Workforce Demands​​South Eastern Railway, a major train operating company in the South East of England, required a rapid recruitment solution to meet operational demands under the Service Quality Regime. The roles involved installing, maintaining and repairing train interiors including windows, seating and fittings while ensuring compliance with safety standards and passenger expectations. A specialist team of Interior Standards Operatives was provided to support the newly formed Service Quality Regime Interior Standards Team, delivering essential maintenance and repair work within train maintenance to uphold high interior standards.​Our SolutionThe recruitment was completed within a short turnaround period to meet client demands and support the Service Quality Regime. Contractors were engaged on short-term rolling contracts, aligned to the client's Service Quality Regime audits and funding cycles. Initial Requirement: A team of 7 Technicians to start within 2 weeks, with ongoing talent pooling in place to support fluctuations in staffing needs throughout the project term. ​Additional Provision by Ganymede: Rail Standard Medical & D&A testing.Full rail depot PPE. Turnaround Time: 11 working days from client briefing to the first contractor cohort starting.​Value Added Ganymede Connect - Ganymede held a briefing with the hiring manager to understand the candidate profile required and created a tailored solo interview suite on Ganymede Connect for candidates to complete video interviews. South Eastern Railway selected preferred candidates directly from the talent dashboard. This significantly reduced their usual time to hire, minimised management time spent conducting interviews, and reduced visitor numbers to a busy safety-critical site. Rail Specific Onboarding Support – Ganymede managed all onboarding tasks, including offers, right to work checks, medical and drug & alcohol testing, and PPE provision. Start dates were staggered across two weeks to support internal capacity for inductions and training at the depot. This ensured the full team was deployed compliantly and fully operational within three weeks of the initial briefing. Talent Pooling – Continuous screening and talent pooling have taken place throughout the project via the Ganymede Connect platform and project talent dashboard. This has enabled a rapid response to fluctuating needs and ensured staffing levels consistently meet project demands.​Ganymede Connect makes the recruitment process so much easier. Having candidate interviews available to view remotely means the selection process becomes vastly more efficient. No longer do the interviewers have to be together in one place, reducing the need to coordinate diaries. Candidate interviews can also be tailored to answer specific questions relating to the assignment, making the selection process much quicker. Simply put, Ganymede Connect is a game changer for staff recruitment. D Paris Head of Fleet Engineering, South Eastern Railway.​Looking for a flexible, project focused staffing solution tailored to the unique demands of the transportation industry?Get in touch with Ganymede today to discover how our specialist workforce solutions can help you meet operational requirements, improve service quality and maintain compliance, even at short notice.​

Ganymede Proudly Supports Young Rail Professionals and Women in Rail’s Sizzling Summer BBQ​Supporting Early Careers and Women in RailWe recently attended the Women in Rail East Midlands and Young Rail Professionals social event and summer BBQ at the Derby Conference Centre. The event offered valuable insight into the initiatives and opportunities championed by both organisations to support and develop careers in the rail industry.During the event, we heard from both groups including how Young Rail Professionals help influence and promote employment in the rail sector for people in their first 10 years of service, discussing what opportunities there are for people who fit this criteria. Women in Rail focused on how they support women across the UK by creating more opportunities to enter and progress in the rail sector.​​Championing Equality and OpportunityWe got involved as many members of the company are also part of Women in Rail across the country and help by attending and organising the events, which demonstrates our proactiveness with these sorts of events. At Ganymede, we believe that everyone should have the same opportunities and chances to have a role in the rail sector.​Attendees of the WIR event including Charlotte Cruise, Client Relationship Manager at Ganymede​The historical venueGanymede was proud to attend the event hosted at our Head office, Derby Conference Centre. The venue holds a long history of hosting rail events and contains a large mural which reflects the changes in transport through time and how trends have evolved. Mark Lamb, Head of Client Development at Ganymede, described it as the perfect venue, calling it “well attended and full”, which reflects the interest of the people and members of the community within these groups. He also described it as a “relaxed environment” where he could catch up with former colleagues and meet new people.Mark described his favourite part as “the networking”, where he enjoyed socialising with new people and former colleagues and gaining more knowledge on what they are doing within these sectors of rail. He also said he enjoyed the BBQ and that there was a good variety of food, a nice, warm and relaxed atmosphere around the event, and that it was a great experience to be a part of. The event was a place for people to expand their network, catch up with familiar faces, and enjoy a relaxed and friendly time.​Future eventsGanymede is looking forward to taking part in similar industry events such as the Women in Rail Christmas Quiz, Rail Forum, the Institute of Water which is celebrating 80 years of running, and other events.

Strengthening Compliance to Drive Safety and Excellence in the UK Rail Sector​The UK rail industry operates in one of the most safety-critical environments in the country. With thousands of lives and billions in infrastructure at stake every day, the sector has undergone significant change over the last decade to improve how it manages risk, competency, and supplier assurance.At Ganymede Solutions, we recognise that meeting these ever-evolving requirements means investing not just in systems, but in people. That is why the continued development of our compliance function has remained a top priority.​The Role of Compliance in Supporting Railway 200Railway 200 is a UK-wide initiative celebrating 200 years of the modern railway. It aims to inspire a new generation of pioneering talent to pursue careers in rail and to highlight the diverse range of roles available within the industry.Effective compliance management is vital to the safe and successful operation of the railway. Ganymede’s compliance team ensures that all regulatory obligations are met, risks are proactively identified and mitigated, and that continuous improvement is embedded into our daily operations.At Ganymede, this is demonstrated not only through our RISQS accreditation but also through our ongoing commitment to a suite of ISO certifications, covering Quality Management, Health & Safety, Environment & Sustainability, and Information Security.In addition, our compliance approach ensures we remain committed to fair, transparent, and responsible employment practices, from how we support our people to how we manage our supply chain, upholding the highest ethical standards across all our operations.​Building a Strong Compliance Team to Meet Railway 200 Standards at GanymedeSince Lauren Bradford joined Ganymede, she has played a key role in developing the compliance team to support the company’s commitment to high-quality compliance standards. The team has grown to meet increasing regulatory demands and to ensure that all aspects of Ganymede’s operations uphold the highest standards of governance.​Developing a Comprehensive Compliance Function in Response to Industry ChangesWhen Lauren joined Ganymede in 2013, the HSEQ function was a small, three-person team responsible for Health & Safety, Compliance, Training, and Fleet Management. As the business has grown and the rail industry has evolved, Ganymede has developed dedicated teams for each of these areas, including a standalone Health & Safety team and a separate Fleet team, each focusing on their specialist disciplines.​Over the last decade, the compliance function has expanded its focus to key areas such as regulatory adherence, risk management, and assurance. During this period, the team has successfully navigated several significant industry changes, including:The transition from the National Competence and Certification Authority (NCCA) to the Sentinel system, which marked a move from manual, paper-based Personal Track Safety (PTS) cards to a smart ID and digital platform for real-time competency verification.The transformation of the supplier assurance scheme from Link-Up to RISQS (Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme), a change led by Network Rail to enhance transparency and governance, transferring management to the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), a not-for-profit organisation owned by and serving Britain’s rail industrySignificant updates to Fatigue Management standards aimed at further mitigating fatigue risks across the industry, alongside enhanced Drug and Alcohol standards designed to better protect the safety of those working in the rail sector, in line with Network Rail’s Life Saving Rules.The compliance team remains responsible for staying up to date with these evolving requirements and ensuring Ganymede’s continued regulatory compliance in a rapidly changing industry landscape.​A Collaborative Approach to Regulatory ExcellenceUnder Lauren’s leadership, the compliance team at Ganymede works closely with our internal Health & Safety and Fleet Management teams to ensure a joined-up approach to risk management and operational safety. But our collaboration doesn’t stop there.We also work proactively with industry bodies, clients, and suppliers to stay aligned with best practices and emerging standards across the rail sector. By engaging with key stakeholders and remaining actively involved in industry-wide initiatives, we are able to continuously build on our capabilities, respond to regulatory changes with agility, and help shape a safer, more sustainable rail network.This collaborative mindset supports not only our internal compliance goals but also contributes meaningfully to the broader vision of Railway 200, rising to new challenges and championing a stronger, safer rail industry for all.​Read our previous blog Railway 200 blog: Mental Health Matters: 200 Years of Rail, 200 Years of People