P Rajagopalan has taken over as Financial Commissioner, Railways, and ex-Officio Secretary to the Government of India.
Rüdiger vorm Walde is to become Director General of Austrian Federal Railways with effect from August 1. Currently Chairman of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, he will succeed Helmut Draxler on a three-year contract.
John Robinson joins the board of British rail infrastructure owner Railtrack on June 4, and will take over as Chairman from July 1, replacing Sir Philip Beck. Robinson is also Chairman of civil engineering contractor George Wimpey plc and RJB Mining. David Harding has joined Railtrack as Finance Director, replacing Sebastian Bull who takes the new post of Business Development Director. David Jones has been appointed as a non-executive director.
Andrzej Zurkowski has been named President of Polish State Railways’ newly-created PKP Intercity business unit (p380).
Brigadier-General Efrayim Sne has been appointed Transport Minister in Israel.
Swaziland Railway CEO Gideon Mahlalela has been re-elected President of the South African Railways Association. The Managing Director of TransNamib Rail, Dr Shipoh, has been elected Vice-President.
Albuino Azeredo has become Secretary of Transportation in the state of Rio de Janeiro, succeeding Luiz Alfredo Salomão.
National Express Group has made a number of appointments at its British rail franchises. Ian Buchan becomes Chief Executive of the Trains Division. Mark Powles is appointed to the new post of Train Retailing Director. From June 4 Dominic Booth will head the combined management of the WAGN, c2c and Silverlink Train Operating Companies, with Adam Golton as Finance Director, Andrew Chivers as Operations Director and Clive Tilley as Commercial Director.
Swiss Federal Railway has named Werner Schurter to become manager of the Zürich S-Bahn network on November 1, following the retirement of Franz Halbritter.
Gerhard Schinner is to take over as Board Member for Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland at German Railway’s infrastructure business DBNetz, formerly the responsibility of Dr Rudolf G
