MTA Metro-North Railroad Wins Prestigious International Design Award: The Triennial Brunel Award for Overall Excellence in Railroad Design

United States Secretary of Transportation Ray La Hood presented the prestigious 2011 Jury Prize for Overall Design Excellence from The Watford Group and The Center for Industrial Design in Transportation to MTA Metro-North Railroad at the recent Brunel Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Metro-North was the first American railroad to win this coveted award in its 26-year history. Forty-three railways from 15 countries on three continents entered 150 projects in this year's international competition. The Brunel Awards are open to all passenger and freight railways throughout the world and recognize and promote the best in railway design and engineering.

"As we work to rebuild our transportation systems and create jobs, it is more essential than ever that we recognize the innovative engineers, architects, and designers who make new rail projects possible," said Secretary LaHood. "These projects - including eight right here in the United States - all exemplify the idea that when we invest in transportation, we lay the groundwork for a new century of economic development, opportunity, and growth."

"Considering the caliber of the competition, it was certainly a thrilling and rewarding experience," said Metro-North President Howard Permut, who accepted the Jury Prize from LaHood.

In describing the selection, the report of the Awards Jury stated: "Metro-North carries the most passengers every year on the American continent and has undergone both extraordinary changes of company culture as well as the shift to incorporation of design as a strategic business tool."

"It was truly gratifying to be recognized for our customer focus, since excellent customer service has always been our most important goal. Everything we do, from designing employee uniforms and enhancing customer amenities to building stations, facilities and rail cars, is geared toward the goal of providing our customers with the best transportation experience possible," Permut said.

"I want to thank the Jury panel for recognizing our dedication to serving our customers, our continuing work toward a more efficient operation, and our commitment to sustainability. This is a great honor," Permut added. He also praised Metro-North's "top-notch workforce," saying "it is due to the hard work and talent of Metro-North employees that we have become the first American railroad to win the Brunel Jury Prize."

The Brunel Award competition, open to public and private railway organizations, recognizes and promotes the best in railway architecture, engineering, landscape and environmental design, product design, locomotive and car design, graphic arts, and corporate branding amongst the world's railways. The Jury Prize is only eligible to a railroad that enters project in all five categories, which Metro-North did, winning first place in the "Freight and Railway Support Buildings" category for its Croton-Harmon Locomotive and Coach Shops. These two 21st century facilities are designed for a 21st century fleet, with ultra-modern equipment maintenance capability that provides employees with a safe, clean work environment. They represent the largest capital and engineering project ever undertaken by Metro-North.