The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has been shortlisted for a national business award recognising its work to develop leadership capability and drive cultural change across the rail industry.
RSSB, in partnership with behavioural science consultancy BehaviourLab, has been named a finalist in the Excellence in Organisational Change and Transformation category at the Association for Business Psychology (ABP) Awards 2025/26.
The nomination recognises the Sustainable Rail Leadership Programme, a jointly developed initiative designed to help rail leaders embed behavioural change, strengthen organisational culture and support long-term improvement across the industry.
Submitted under the title Shaping Culture, Driving Change: Leadership for a Sustainable Rail Industry, the programme was created in response to industry-wide challenges relating to leadership, culture and sustainability. It combines behavioural science principles with practical leadership development to help participants better understand how decisions influence organisational outcomes.
The programme focuses on equipping leaders with the skills needed to create positive workplace cultures, improve organisational resilience and support the delivery of safer and more sustainable railway operations.
Participants gain insights into how behaviours are shaped within organisations, how cultural change can be successfully implemented and how leadership decisions influence safety, performance and long-term sustainability outcomes.
The recognition comes at a time when the rail industry continues to place increasing emphasis on leadership capability, workforce culture and organisational transformation as key enablers of future success.
The Association for Business Psychology Awards celebrate organisations and initiatives that demonstrate excellence in leadership, organisational development and behavioural change. Being shortlisted highlights the growing importance of behavioural science in addressing some of the rail sector’s most significant operational and cultural challenges.
Rachael Everard, RSSB’s Director of Sustainable Development, said the nomination reflects the critical role leadership plays in delivering lasting change across the industry.
“This recognition reflects the importance of equipping rail leaders with the skills to deliver lasting cultural and behavioural change,” she said.
“The Sustainable Rail Leadership Programme helps people understand how their decisions shape outcomes, and how they can lead change that supports a safer, more sustainable railway.”
The programme forms part of RSSB’s wider efforts to support industry transformation through research, guidance, training and collaboration, helping organisations improve safety, performance and sustainability across the railway.
For the rail sector, the shortlisting also highlights the increasing focus being placed on non-technical skills alongside engineering and operational excellence. As the industry continues to evolve through digital transformation, decarbonisation and structural reform, leadership capability and organisational culture are increasingly recognised as essential foundations for successful change.
The winners of the ABP Awards 2025/26 will be announced on 11 June.
If successful, the award would provide further recognition of the rail industry’s efforts to apply behavioural science and leadership development to some of its most pressing strategic challenges, reinforcing the role that culture and people play in building a safer, more resilient and sustainable railway.
