UK: Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander has appointed Richard George as the next Chair of infrastructure manager Network Rail, and Sir Andrew Haines as Chair of Department for Transport Operator Ltd, the state-owned holding company bringing DfT-contracted passenger services into public ownership ahead of the creation of Great British Railways.
They will take up their new positions on February 2.
Announcing the appointments on January 12, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said ‘Richard and Sir Andrew both bring a wealth of experience, helping to improve passenger experience and operational performance, supporting the integration of our railways and building towards the world-class railway we will see under Great British Railways’.
An executive search agency oversaw the recruitment of the NR Chair, with candidates interviewed by a panel chaired by the DfT Permanent Secretary and included a senior official from the Scottish government.
George takes over from Mike Putnam, who has been acting chair of Network Rail since 2024 and will be continue as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director on the board.
George has been Chair of DFTO in November 2024. His previous roles have included Managing Director of Great Western Trains, HS1 Project Director for Eurostar, Director of Transport for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Managing Director for Global Rail & Transit Engineering at SNC-Lavalin and adviser to the Department for Transport on matters relating to rail performance and investment in the north of England. Before privatisation, he had 20 years of management experience with British Rail including as Director of Strategy for InterCity and Franchise Development Director.
George said ’the rail reform journey we are on towards the creation of Great British Railways is an exciting one, with changes across all railway organisations including Network Rail as we work to create an integrated railway fit for the 21st century.
‘But those changes must never be at the expense of safety and operational performance, and the whole system relies on Network Rail to deliver that. I am excited to be a part of this, leading Network Rail, alongside DFTO and the publicly-owned train operators to improve performance on the railway and drive rail reform.’
Haines was directly appointed to the DFTO role by the Secretary of State. He was CEO of Network Rail in 2018-25, following roles including Managing Director of South West Trains and Managing Director of the Rail Division for FirstGroup.
He said ‘I look forward to working closely with so many talented colleagues from across the publicly owned train operating companies, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry’.
Response
Commenting on the appointments, Chair of the Railway Industry Association Noel Travers said ‘both Richard George and Sir Andrew Haines bring a wealth of experience, as they take on new responsibilities at this pivotal time of rail reform and as the Railways Bill progresses through parliament. We and the rail supply sector look forward to working with both industry leaders, as they oversee the railway industry’s development.’
