Construction Digital Magazine August 2021 | Page 51

KEOLISAMEY DOCKLANDS
Natalia Pickett , Head of Procurement , KeolisAmey Docklands , sheds light on the vital role procurement plays in more than 117 million annual rail passenger journeys

117 million

Passengers use the DLR each year

London ’ s Docklands Light Railway , known as the DLR in local shorthand , is the UK ’ s busiest light railway network and one of the vital transport arteries for business and leisure in the sprawling British capital . It is operated by French transport specialist Keolis and British infrastructure engineering firm Amey , under the joint venture KeolisAmey Docklands .

The service is responsible for the comfort and safety of more than 117 million passengers each year , giving the transport network an enormous impact on the economy , and the day-to-day lives of Londoners and tourists alike . Cutting through the city ’ s financial hub in Canary Wharf , the line also feeds into convention centres and cultural hotspots , as well as residential areas and retail destinations . Though the pandemic has significantly reduced the number of passengers over the past 18 months , it is a responsibility that Natalia Pickett , Head of Procurement at KeolisAmey Docklands , takes incredibly seriously .
“ Safety is a word I say a million times a day , because whichever solutions we implement , services we buy or technology we deploy , the safety of our passengers , staff and transport crew is the most important factor - always ,” she says .
Pickett ’ s procurement division is responsible for sourcing and implementing everything from vital services and back office supplies , to to spare parts for maintaining rolling stock . When someone once asked Pickett ’ s husband what his wife does for a
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