The Government has announced the appointment of Sir John Kingman as the very-first Chair of Great British Railways (GBR).
Sir John will commence his duties as chair immediately, and will play a key role in the shaping of the new operation’s design, continuing the integration of train and track operations and driving industry readiness for transition as the Railways Bill continues through Parliament.
Once GBR is officially established, Sir John will act as leader for the third largest public sector organisation in Britain. He will work closely with both the rail industry and devolved transport bodies, and maintain a focus on improvements to passenger experience and overall services.
Sir John’s previous experience includes positions as Chair of Barclays UK PLC, Legal and General Group PLC and Tesco Personal Finance, as well as a stint as Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury. He later became the first Chair of UK Research and Innovation.
Sir John Kingman, Chair of Great British Railways said:The opportunity to lead Great British Railways is one I could not let pass. It is a privilege to be involved in rail’s next chapter making sure that public ownership of the railways delivers change that people can see.
I want to help to build a simpler, more unified railway that puts the interests of the passengers and customers first, supports growth and creates opportunity across the country.
The appointment of the organisation’s first Chair marks a key milestone in the Government’s plan to establish GBR, which will see the creation of a publicly owned railway controlling operations across Britain.
Recent developments related to the establishment of GBR include the unveiling of the organisation’s headquarters at Becketwell, Derby. The site is expected to create hundreds of rail jobs, as well as contribute an estimated 151 million GBP to the region’s economy.
