About RPD
RPD was established in 1997 and has become a leading provider of specialist consultancy and training services, mainly in the rail industry.
Every member of our team has many years experience in industry, ranging from operational roles through to senior management positions. This range of experience, coupled with our risk-based approach enables us to provide you with practical solutions that will improve your business performance.
As well as providing practical solutions which can be implemented we have a reputation for providing a high level of ongoing support to your people - to develop their skills and their knowledge.
We have continually improved our services and the skills and knowledge of our people to ensure that we can provide a high quality, cost effective service.
Throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we took practical steps, and implemented robust measures, to ensure the welfare of our employees, sub-contractors and course delegates.
In line with government, public health and industry guidance, we implemented the option of remote training and safe distance training within our training centre, albeit this means not as many were able to attend, dependant on which rooms were available.
Since the lockdown, all employees and directors were, and are still, on occasion, working remotely under government guidelines. Our services and support for RPD and Assure CMS remained business as usual. Contact can be made via email at info@rpd.co.uk For Assure, this can be done through a normal support ticket system, online chat and email. We now offer in house meetings and training still with social distancing in place within our training centre.
Risk assessments are carried out when attending the site to highlight and reinforce, safe working procedures. Whilst on site our cleaning regime has been increased and masks/hand sanitizer is available for every attendee. We also carry out a body heat check on arrival.
We are always monitoring the situation on a daily basis and will implement any necessary changes based on the advice provided by the government and public health agencies.
We would like to express our thanks to our employees, contractors and trainees.
Paul Durrant
Managing Director
Paul brings over 35 years of extensive experience in the railway industry, encompassing everything from setting up train operations to human resource management. Over the last 15 years, Paul has played a pivotal role in shaping competence management and learning programs across the rail sector, with a particular focus on CMS assessment design and the application of the Assure online CMS/LMS.
His profound expertise in Operations, Training, and Development has garnered him immense respect within the industry and beyond. Paul's significant contributions include being the only independent consultant invited to join the HSE's Rail Industry Advisory Committee (RIAC) safety critical work group, where he was instrumental in developing the Railway Principles and Guidance for maintaining and enhancing staff competence.
In addition to his regulatory work, Paul has innovated training methods within the industry by designing simulation techniques such as the tabletop Simkit and the DeskSim, which provide realistic training experiences. These tools have revolutionised training processes, making them more effective and engaging.
Currently, Paul is also involved in creating railway animations to support training for ETCS projects and Driver training programs. His comprehensive experience and innovative approach to training and development continue to drive excellence and improvement in the rail industry.
George Mawby
Director RPD
George has over 35 years’ experience of the rail industry covering operations, training and safety. Whilst working for the BRB safety directorate George had specific responsibility for the management of Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs) and developed many of the initiatives currently being applied across the rail industry today.
He has been a director of RPD since incorporation in 1998 delivering a range of projects including competence management design, new train development and introduction, operational audits and design, assessment system verification, ERTMS and risk assessment.
Read more ∨Alexandra James
Head of Business Support
Alex brings over 15 years of experience in business and operations support across diverse industries. Her expertise includes finance, human resources, strategic planning, and facilities management.
As our Head of Business Support, Alex plays a critical role in optimising business processes, implementing company policies, and ensuring efficient resource allocation to enhance overall productivity. With a strong focus on strategic planning and innovation, Alex actively collaborates with different departments and senior management, fostering effective communication and problem-solving to address complex challenges. leadership. Alex’s leadership style emphasises open communication, continuous improvement, and a customer-centric focus.
We are confident that Alex's exceptional leadership skills and experience in managing diverse support functions will continue to prove invaluable in driving our organisation towards continued success and future growth.
Robert Mawby
Head of Operations
Rob has over 20 years’ experience in a range of Operational Management roles gaining a vast array of experience, knowledge and skills to manage and deliver high level projects. Rob’s most recent position was as Head of Driver Training Strategy at MTR Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), where he was responsible for helping TFL deliver on their staged opening plan commitments. Rob led the delivery of their training strategy ensuring a sufficient number of drivers were trained in the 3 different signalling systems (ETCS, CBTC and AWS) in order to ensure drivers were operational for the opening dates.
Rob has also had the opportunity to apply his skills internationally on various projects ranging from the introduction of new trains to accident and incident investigation training.
Rob joins RPD with a wealth of experience to continually grow the RPD brand and quality of training and consulting activities associated with RPD.
Tristan Dennis
Operations Consultant
Tristan brings over 20 years of operational railway experience to the table, with his most recent and proudest achievement being his role as an International Train Driver for Eurostar. This hard-earned position provided him with extensive knowledge and experience in High-Speed Rail operations on HS1 and the LGV in France, along with proficiency in French and an understanding of international rail operations.
Before his tenure at Eurostar, Tristan served as a Train Driving Instructor and Driver Team Leader for MTR Elizabeth Line (Crossrail). In these roles, he played a crucial part in the commissioning process and delivered training for drivers on the new class 345 units, and later, training and assessing drivers on the CBTC system in the central operating section. Additionally, Tristan's experience as a Driving Instructor for National Express East Anglia and Abellio Greater Anglia has allowed him to master a variety of traction types, further enriching his skill set.
At RPD, Tristan leverages his comprehensive operational experience and expertise in training and assessment to contribute significantly to the ongoing development and delivery of our training programs. He regularly delivers and supports ETCS, accident and investigation, and driver training, also working closely with the OTM sector to support them in various capacities.
Greg Edwards
Associate Trainer
Greg joined RPD & RPD Inspire (Our sister company) in 2017. Greg has over 20+ years’ experience within the Rail Operations Industry, managing depots and Driver Managers in that time, as well as trade union interactions across the functions.
Greg’s experience also lies in Assessing competence of Drivers in relation to CBTC & ETCS.
Greg is a great asset within our Driver Training Centre delivering to groups of apprentices, our own Driver Training Programme.
Kerry Durrant
Assure online CMS Development & Training Manager
Kerry brings over 35 years of experience in management, customer support, systems analysis, and development coordination to her critical role at RPD. Her extensive background, including over 11 years in the rail consultancy industry, equips her with a diverse skill set that greatly benefits our organisation.
Kerry's role is pivotal to our business, as she is responsible for developing system design specifications, further enhancing the Assure online Competence and Learning Management System, and ensuring seamless system training and support. Her expertise in these areas drives the continuous improvement and effectiveness of our systems.
Additionally, Kerry heads our City & Guilds Accreditation/Qualification Centre, guaranteeing that all delegates receive top-notch training and assessments that meet industry standards. Her leadership and experience are invaluable assets to RPD.
Vicky Copping
Systems Support Administrator
Vicky joined RPD in September 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience in systems and support roles. With a strong background in both areas, Vicky's expertise significantly enhances our team’s capabilities.
In her role at RPD and working closely with the Support Manager, Vicky is instrumental in ensuring the smooth operation and continuous improvement of our systems. She excels in identifying and implementing efficient solutions, addressing technical challenges, and providing top-tier support to our users. Vicky's keen understanding of system dynamics and her proactive approach to problem-solving contribute to the overall effectiveness and reliability of our technological infrastructure.
Moreover, Vicky's extensive experience in support roles ensures that our clients and team members receive exceptional assistance and guidance. Her ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and her dedication to maintaining high service standards make her an invaluable asset to our organisation. Vicky's contributions are vital to our commitment to delivering excellence in all aspects of our operations.
India Downing
Office Administrator
India has been an integral part of RPD for over five years, playing a vital role in the success of our operations. In her role, she excels at planning course bookings and resources, sending out joining instructions, and coordinating trainers for the diverse array of RPD products and offerings.
India oversees the End Point Assessment booking system for the Train Driver Level 3 standard, ensuring assessors log their availability and efficiently processing apprentices' gateway evidence, allowing employers to book assessments seamlessly.
As our RPD City & Guilds coordinator, India meticulously plans courses and reviews candidate assessment evidence before claiming certificates of achievement. Additionally, she manages all aspects of SimKits, from procurement and production to sales, ensuring they arrive safely and intact.
India's dedication and attention to detail are crucial to our business, ensuring smooth operations and high-quality service delivery across all our training programs and products.
Jonathan Hall
Media Project Manager
Jonathan’s association with RPD dates back more than 15 years, when as Managing Director of a media organisation he was commissioned to develop the corporate identity and literature for the RPD business. Jonathan is now an independent media consultant and is an Associate for the RPD team with responsibilities for media communications.
Jonathan supports RPD to deliver innovative safety communications tools for its clients. The range of projects that he has delivered for RPD include training manual production, safety briefings, safety newsletters, interactive video briefings and training DVD/video productions as well as a new fault guide App and Safety briefing App.
Read more ∨Martin Money
Senior Software Developer
Martin joined RPD in 2022, bringing over 15 years of extensive experience in software development. Having previously worked with our IT partners, Martin's transition to our own IT team has been seamless, and we are thrilled to have him on board.
Martin's deep expertise in software development is a tremendous asset to our organisation. He plays a crucial role in the design, development, and implementation of our systems, ensuring that our technology infrastructure is robust, scalable, and efficient. His proficiency in various programming languages and development frameworks enables him to tackle complex technical challenges with innovative solutions.
In addition to his technical skills, Martin is known for his collaborative approach and ability to work effectively across different teams. Martin's dedication to excellence and continuous improvement aligns perfectly with our goals at RPD, and we are delighted to have such a skilled and experienced professional as part of our IT team.
We have worked for a wide range of organisations in a range of sectors, including:
Client list
We have worked for a wide range of organisations in a range of sectors, including:
- Transport operations
- Arriva Rail London
- Arriva TW
- Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd
- c2c Rail
- Chiltern Railways
- Colas Rail
- East Midlands Trains Ltd
- Eurostar
- Eurotunnel
- First Group
- GB Railfreight
- Govia Thameslink
- Harsco Rail Limited
- Heathrow Express
- London Midland
- London Overground Rail Operations Ltd
- London Underground
- Merseyrail
- MTR Elizabeth Line
- National Express
- National Skills Academy for Rail Engineering
- Network Rail
- Nexus
- Saudi Arabia Railway
- Serco Docklands
- Serco Integrated Transport
- Serco Middle East
- Southeastern
- South West Trains
- Southern
- Tyne & Wear Metro
- Translink/NIR
- VolkerRail
- Virgin
- Safety and risk management
- Health and Safety Executive
- Rail Safety and Standards Board
- Risk Solutions
- Engineering & Construction
- Alstom Transport
- Arriva TW Fleet
- Bombardier
- CAF
- Freightliner Group
- Jordan Engineering Services Ltd
- Kilnbridge Construction
- Siemens
- Other
- Essex County Fire & Rescue Service
- Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service
- Fenland District Council
- Fire Brigades Union
- Manchester College of Arts & Technology
