A psychologist, a one time carriage cleaner and a first aider are among the latest appointments to new roles as managing directors of Network Rail’s ten devolved route business units.
Dave Ward, Jo Kaye, Mark Langman and Patrick Hallgate have all been appointed directors as Network Rail ramps up its plan to devolve power in the organisation down to local level by October.
Says Robin Gisby, Managing Director, Network Operations:
“We’ve seen some outstanding candidates for these roles. It’s been a rigorous and challenging selection process and I’m confident we have the right people to take up the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Jo Kaye is the new managing director on the London North Western route, building on solid success in her previous role there.
The London North Western ops area extends from London Euston to the Scottish border north of Carlisle and it includes the line from London Marylebone to Snow Hill in Birmingham.
Says Jo, “The route is big and varied. It ranges from the west coast main line with its ultra fast tilting trains, through major urban conurbations heavily used by commuters to rural lines in Lancashire and Cumbria, some of which have little more than a handful of trains a day.
“In addition, it is one of the busiest mixed freight routes in the country, handling 27m tonnes of goods a year, so there are plenty of challenges ahead.
“However, I have a great team on the LNW route and I am looking forward to working with them and our customers to make the railway the very best we can.”
Originally from London, Jo Kaye was educated at Imperial College and now lives in Halifax. She joined the rail industry as a graduate trainee in 1995. Jo is a keen gardener and a first aider – she is a member of the St John Ambulance Association.
Wales is now a stand alone Network Rail business under its own new director. Mark Langman, 41, with 25 years railway experience, leads the devolved business unit in Cardiff.
Mark, who lives in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, was previously route director for the Western Route, which included Wales, an area he knows well after serving as Area General Manager, Wales and Marches, between 2005 and 2010.
“We have worked hard over the last six years to transform the railway in Wales to become one of the most punctual networks in Britain.
“My priority is to build on that and to create a strong organisation, which is closer to our customers and be in a better position to deliver even more improvements to passengers and freight users in Wales,” says Mark. He enjoys hill and coastal walking, travel, antiques and current affairs.
Tottenham Hotspur fan, Dave Ward, is the new managing director for Kent. His remit includes High Speed One as well as railway services in South London and across Kent.
A one time carriage cleaner, Dave’s 33 year career on the railways has seen him working across a wide range of disciplines in British Rail, Railtrack and Network Rail.
Starting with various operational duties Dave worked as a signaller and progressed through the ranks to hold numerous senior management and director positions.
These included programme director for Crossrail, and route director for Western and more recently Kent. Dave lives in Ashford with his wife and has three grown up sons. He is a keen golfer.
A one time psychologist with the Constabularies Inspectorate has been appointed managing director of the Western Route. Patrick Hallgate moves from Programme Director, Signalling and Electrification, which he has held since 2009.
The experience may serve him well when the electrification of the west proceeds. Previously he was route director for Anglia and before that route director Sussex.
Other experience includes Maintenance Programme Manager and Route Performance Manager, both on the Great Eastern, Anglia.
Patrick joined Railtrack’s graduate trainee scheme in 1999. A keen cyclist he has read degrees at Bristol and Northumbria universities. He has an MSc in Organisational Psychology.
In May David Simpson was appointed route managing director for Scotland and Richard O’Brien became route managing director Wessex.
As of June a new department, Network Operations, headed by Robin Gisby replaces operations and customer services. All teams from that function will work in Network Operations.
A new position of freight director will be created as part of the new ops structure.
In October 2011, at the same time as the next routes go live, the director, infrastructure maintenance and the balance of his team, join network operations.
