UK rail industry personnel news

News about senior railway industry appointments in the UK.

  • Palace of Westminster clock tower
    Rail Business UK

    Heidi Alexander replaces Louise Haigh as Secretary of State for Transport

    2024-11-29T15:50:00Z

    UK: Labour MP for Swindon South Heidi Alexander was appointed as Secretary of State for Transport on November 29, following the resignation of Louise Haigh the previous evening. Alexander was MP for Lewisham East from 2010 to 2018, when she stepped down from parliament to become ...

  • Laura Shoaf (Photo WMCA)
    Rail Business UK

    Shadow Great British Railways Chair appointed

    2024-10-07T11:00:00Z

    UK: The Secretary of State for Transport has appointed West Midlands Combined Authority Chief Executive Laura Shoaf as Chair of Shadow Great British Railways. Before leading the WMCA, Shoaf was Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands, and has chaired the Urban Transport Group. ‘It is ...

  • Ruth Cadbury MP (Photo Ruth Cadbury)
    Rail Business UK

    Ruth Cadbury elected Chair of the Transport Select Committee

    2024-09-17T04:00:00Z

    UK: Labour MP for Brentford & Isleworth Ruth Cadbury has been elected as Chair of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee for the 2024 parliament. ‘Working cross-party, this committee will continue to champion the sector and consumers across the country’, she said following the election ...

  • Mike Putnam (Photo Network Rail)
    Rail Business UK

    Acting Chair appointed at Network Rail

    2024-07-19T15:00:00Z

    UK: Network Rail’s senior non-executive director Mike Putnam has been appointed as Acting Chair of the infrastructure manager, replacing Lord Peter Hendy who has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department for Transport. The process of appointing a successor to Hendy will begin in ...

  • DB Cargo UK 66039 fitted with ETCS technology travels to RIDC (Photo Network Rail)
    Rail Business UK

    DB Cargo UK to increase use of digital and AI technologies

    2024-07-05T04:00:00Z

    UK: ‘Greater use of digital and AI technologies is a key aspect of our ongoing transformation plan and will enable us to deliver even better customer service and product innovation, as well as improving our overall efficiency’, DB Cargo UK Chief Executive Andrea Rossi said when the ...

  • _ts16607_53802806754_o
    Rail Business UK

    Big Rail Diversity Challenge seeks to drive change

    2024-06-26T04:00:00Z

    UK: Companies from across the UK’s rail industry came together at Newark Showground on June 19 to take part in this year’s Big Rail Diversity Challenge.

  • Mark Wild_cropped
    Rail Business UK

    Mark Wild appointed HS2 Ltd CEO

    2024-05-30T11:00:00Z

    UK: Former Crossrail Ltd Chief Executive Mark Wild has been appointed CEO of high speed line project promoter HS2 Ltd. Wild is currently CEO of gas distribution network SGN. His previous roles have included CEO of Crossrail Ltd in 2018-22, London Underground Managing Director in 2016-19 ...

  • East West Rail jacket
    Rail Business UK

    Next East West Railway Co CEO announced

    2024-05-29T04:00:00Z

    UK: David Hughes has been appointed as CEO of Oxford to Cambridge project promoter East West Railway Co with effect from June 3. He succeeds Beth West, who announced in April that she would stepping down when her contract ended. Hughes joins from Arup, where he ...

  • New SME Chair & Vice Chair (Photo RIA)
    Rail Business UK

    Railway Industry Association announces SME Group leadership

    2024-05-03T12:27:00Z

    UK: The Railway Industry Association announced the appointments of the next Chair and Vice-Chair of its SME Group on May 2. The new Chair is Catherine Leech, Managing Director of Anturas Consulting Ltd, who succeeds Lucy Prior. Leech said she would continue work to raise the ...

  • Beth West
    Rail Business UK

    East West Railway Co CEO Beth West to leave

    2024-04-12T14:21:00Z

    UK: Beth West is to step down as CEO of Oxford – Cambridge railway corridor project promoter East West Railway Co when her contract ends. She will remain as interim CEO until the end of May, and she will be available to support the transition to ...

  • Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail Class 385 EMU
    Rail Business UK

    Separate MDs appointed for Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail

    2024-04-10T13:13:00Z

    UK: Separate Managing Directors have been appointed for infrastructure manager Network Rail in Scotland and for passenger train operator ScotRail, though the organisations have stressed their commitment to the current alliance model of close co-operation. Both Managing Director roles are currently held jointly by Alex Hynes, ...

  • Alex Hynes (Photo Network Rail)
    Rail Business UK

    Alex Hynes appointed DfT Director General Rail Services

    2024-03-18T16:47:00Z

    UK: The Department for Transport has appointed Alex Hynes as Director General Rail Services. He is due to join on a two-year secondment from his current position as Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway on April 15. Interim Director General Anit Chandarana will return to Network Rail ...

  • Steve Murphy
    Rail Business UK

    Steve Murphy to leave MTR UK

    2024-02-23T10:45:00Z

    UK: MTR UK Chief Executive Steve Murphy is to leave ‘to pursue other career goals’, Hong Kong-based transport group MTR Corp announced on February 23. Murphy’s last working day will be March 29. The process of appointing a new CEO has begun, and the MTR Elizabeth ...

  • Tom Joyner TM1
    Rail Business UK

    CrossCountry Managing Director leaves

    2024-02-16T12:28:00Z

    UK: Managing Director Tom Joyner left CrossCountry with immediate effect on February 15.

  • Mark Bird
    Rail Business UK

    Intercity Railfreight develops express freight network

    2024-01-31T10:00:00Z

    UK: Mark Bird has been appointed to the new role of Chief Revenue Officer at Intercity Railfreight, which uses passenger trains for the express delivery of high-value and time-critical products. Established in 2009, ICRF is now working with eight train operating companies to develop distribution networks ...

  • SWR train at London Waterloo station (Photo SWR)
    Rail Business UK

    Interim Managing Director for South Western Railway named

    2024-01-30T14:12:00Z

    UK: Chief Operating Officer Stuart Meek has been appointed Interim Managing Director at South Western Railway with effect from March 19. He takes over from Claire Mann, who is leaving to become Chief Operating Officer at Transport for London. The process to recruit a permanent Managing ...

  • David Brown (Photo RDG)
    Rail Business UK

    David Brown takes over as Chair of the Rail Delivery Group

    2024-01-05T13:36:00Z

    UK: David Brown, Managing Director for UK Trains at Arriva, has been appointed Chair of the Rail Delivery Group. He has been a RDG board member since 2020. ‘After unprecedented challenges in recent years, the railways can have a very bright future through meeting the needs ...

  • Anthony Smith
    Rail Business UK

    Independent Rail Retailers Chair appointed

    2024-01-03T11:00:00Z

    UK: Anthony Smith has been appointed as Chair of Independent Rail Retailers, the membership and lobbying group which represents third-party train ticket sellers. Smith was previously Chief Executive of Transport Focus and its predecessor bodies since 1999. He succeeds Alistair Lees, Managing Director of Assertis, as ...

  • Richard Hines
    Rail Business UK

    Richard Hines named next Chief Inspector of Railways

    2023-12-19T11:00:00Z

    UK: Richard Hines is to succeed Ian Prosser as HM Chief Inspector of Railways in summer 2024, the Office of Rail & Road announced on December 18. Hines is currently a Deputy Chief Inspector, and heads ORR’s team of non-main line health and safety inspectors as ...

  • HS1 (Photo ORR)
    Rail Business UK

    City Airport CEO to head HS1 Ltd

    2023-11-14T15:00:00Z

    UK: Channel Tunnel Rail Link concessionaire HS1 Ltd has named London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair as its next Chief Executive with effect from March 2024. He will succeed Dyan Perry (neé Crowther), who is to retire after seven years in the role. Sinclair is ...