The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the appointment of Alex Hynes as new Chief Executive of the Department for Transport Operator Limited (DFTO).
Hynes has been selected to lead the next phase in the transition to Great British Railways (GBR), supporting the government in its initiative to improve services for passengers across the country.
The DFTO is the Government body that will bring all privately-owned train operators into public ownership ahead of the establishing of GBR.
Hynes previously held positions at ScotRail and Network Rail between 2017 and 2024, and spent time as Managing Director of Northern before the operator transferred into public ownership in 2020.
The full handover of duties will take place on 23 December when Hynes takes over from current CEO Robin Gisby.
Alex Hynes, Director General of Rail Services at DfT, said:It’s a privilege to be joining DFTO at such a pivotal moment. I look forward to working with so many talented colleagues from across the publicly owned train operating companies, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry.
Building on DFTO’s strong foundations and Robin’s achievements, my focus will be on delivering safe, reliable and efficient services for passengers, and helping to drive rail reform.
The DfT has also announced that it will transfer 200 civil servants from its rail teams into DFTO by 01 April 2026 in order to ensure the company has the maximum resources it can have available.
A competition is set to be run in 2026 to determine the CEO of Great British Railways.
