Whoosh · Industry Recognition & Chronology (2021–2026)

Awards, Royal Honours & Rail Partner Recognition

From His Majesty’s 2023 King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation to dual 2026 national wins with South Western Railway and finalist recognition alongside LNER, explore verified passenger impact across Great Britain’s rail network.

Chronological Honours Ledger (2026–2021)All Transport Solutions

Passenger viewing live British Sign Language journey updates on a smartphone beside an onboard South Western Railway One Scan QR plate — 2026 WINNER · NATIONAL TRANSPORT AWARDS & RAIL BUSINESS AWARDS · SWR ONE SCAN + SIGNAPSE BSL

2021–2026: 9 Awards
2026 HIGHLIGHTS: 2× WIN · 1× FINAL

Chronological Honours Ledger (2026–2021):2026(3)2023(1)2022(3)2021(2)

SWR · LNER · NETWORK RAIL · DFT · GRAND CENTRAL

Whoosh · Transport Solutions Division

2026 Rail Operator Deployments in Focus

Live onboard QR journey dashboards and direct-to-device British Sign Language updates recognised across Great Britain’s rail network.

South Western Railway passenger scanning an onboard One Scan QR plate to access live journey updates — Winner of both **Digital & Technology Excellence in Transport** (National Transport Awards, October 2026) and **Accessibility & Integrated Transport Excellence** (Rail Business Awards, February 2026)—deployed across more than 20,000 carriage QR plates with over 700,000 passenger scans.

LNER passenger scanning a seatback QR code to open the Welcome onboard LNER live journey dashboard — Shortlisted for **Delivering for the Customer** at the Spotlight Rail Awards (March 2026), connecting seatback QR codes across LNER services to live calling points, onward platform changes, station guidance, and onboard hospitality.

2026 → 2023 → 2022 → 2021

Chronological Honours Ledger (2026–2021)

2026

3 HONOURS

1 October 2026
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
Winner23rd Annual National Transport Awards
Digital & Technology Excellence in Transport
In partnership with: South Western Railway & Signapse — BSL Direct-To-Device on the SWR One Scan Platform
Recognised nationally for introducing the UK’s first direct-to-device British Sign Language (BSL) travel information system inside South Western Railway’s One Scan QR platform—built with Whoosh alongside Innovate UK, the Department for Transport, and Network Rail—delivering instant, zero-download journey updates to passengers’ own smartphones.
“Integrated into SWR’s One Scan QR platform, it enables customers to access live, local travel information instantly on their own devices, removing reliance on audio announcements and complex written messaging... With support from Innovate UK, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Whoosh, SWR developed a user centred solution that requires no apps, downloads, logins or registrations.”
“South Western Railway and Signapse won Digital & Technology Excellence in Transport for BSL Direct-to-device, giving passengers access to live, local information in British Sign Language on their own devices. Does it make a journey easier? Does it provide better information? Does it improve safety? Does it remove a barrier to travel? The best transport technology is increasingly becoming an enabler rather than the story itself.”
Grant Poulton, Managing Director, Transport Times — Transport Times — National Transport Awards 2026: 5 Key Takeaways
National Transport Awards 2026 official winner citation
19 February 2026
Manchester Deansgate Hotel, Manchester
Winner28th Rail Business Awards
Accessibility & Integrated Transport Excellence
In partnership with: South Western Railway & Signapse — One Scan Accessible Real-Time & BSL Passenger Platform
Honoured for transforming onboard accessibility across South Western Railway’s regional and long-distance fleets—spanning more than 20,000 carriage-specific QR codes across Class 158/9 and Class 444 trains and surpassing 700,000 passenger scans between London Waterloo, Weymouth, Portsmouth, and Exeter.
“We know how important providing accurate, timely and accessible information is for delivering a smooth journey. Our refreshed One Scan platform gives a more connected travel experience that helps customers stay informed throughout their journey. The easy-to-use QR codes on board trains between London and Weymouth, Portsmouth and Exeter take customers straight to live updates on their journey, with an option to see them in British Sign Language, as well as details of special offers and SWR Rewards.”
Matthew Winnie, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, South Western Railway — South Western Railway Official Newsroom — One Scan Refresh
“We have an opportunity through AI innovation to build a future where barriers to communication are dismantled. Real-time sign language integration truly empowers deaf individuals with the information they need when travelling while boosting confidence, safety and accessibility for all.”
Sally Chalk, Chief Executive Officer, Signapse — South Western Railway BSL Direct-to-Device Launch
Rail Business Awards 2026 official winners directory
12 March 2026
London Hilton on Park Lane, London
FinalistSpotlight Rail Awards 2026
Delivering for the Customer
In partnership with: LNER — WHOOSH & LNER – All On-Board with LNER
Shortlisted nationally alongside LNER for placing East Coast Main Line passengers at the heart of real-time service delivery—connecting seatback QR scans directly to live calling-point progress, onward platform allocations, station facilities, and onboard catering without requiring any app installation.
“We know from our customers just how important it is for them to have the latest information about their journeys. At LNER, we believe the digital experience plays a crucial role in helping people enjoy the best possible experience when they travel with us. This is just one way we are further enhancing that experience and we will be looking to add more features in the future.”
Danny Gonzalez, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, LNER — LNER Official Newsroom — Live Updates Onboard Digital Information Platform
“We’re so proud to have our solution being introduced on LNER services, right at the forefront of the revolution in passenger information. It is a one-stop shop for all passenger needs during their journey.”
Edmund Caldecott, Chief Executive Officer, Whoosh — LNER Official Newsroom — Live Updates Onboard Digital Information Platform
Spotlight Rail Awards 2026 official shortlist

2023

1 HONOUR

21 April 2023
His Majesty’s Royal Warrant · United Kingdom
Royal HonourThe King’s Awards for Enterprise
Innovation
Conferred in the inaugural King’s Awards for Enterprise list approved by His Majesty The King—the United Kingdom’s highest official honour for commercial enterprise—recognising Whoosh’s pioneering real-time QR passenger information architecture for rail networks.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise official UK Government programme

2022

3 HONOURS

February 2022
London, United Kingdom
Winner24th Rail Business Awards
Rail Business Innovation of the Year
Awarded top honours for bridging live rail control-room telemetry and carriage-level context directly to passengers’ smartphones via instant browser-native QR codes.
June 2022
London, United Kingdom
WinnerRailway Innovation Awards
Passenger Experience & Digital Innovation
Recognised by rail engineering and operations judges for delivering rapid, low-infrastructure onboard digital journey guidance across UK passenger fleets.
Summer 2022
International Rail & Aviation Hospitality
FinalistOnboard Hospitality Awards
Best Onboard Technology
Commended as an international finalist for uniting live passenger journey updates, seat-level hospitality discovery, and digital media access inside a single onboard scan.

2021

2 HONOURS

November 2021
London, United Kingdom
WinnerTravolution Awards
Innovation Award
Celebrated for introducing frictionless, zero-app real-time travel dashboards tailored to individual carriages and passenger journeys.
November 2021
London, United Kingdom
WinnerTravolution Awards
Best Technology Partnership
Awarded for collaborative engineering with UK rail operators to deploy real-time digital passenger services at fleet scale.