MTR Elizabeth line has appointed Mike Bagshaw as its new Managing Director. He succeeds Nigel Holness, who is stepping down from the role to help MTR focus on future business opportunities. Mr Bagshaw has worked on the railway for more than 30 years, including in strategic roles at Arriva Trains Wales, Chiltern and First Great Western. He was part of the initial management team which drove Chiltern’s expansion into the West Midlands. He joined MTR in 2016 as Bid Director before becoming Performance and Planning Director of MTR Elizabeth line in 2018 and Chief Operating Officer of parent company MTR UK in 2021.
At MTR, Mr Bagshaw’s responsibilities have included overseeing the planning and delivery of end-to-end Elizabeth line services, developing operational performance and planning capability and expanding the operating business portfolio.
On his appointment, he said: ‘I am delighted to be returning to MTR Elizabeth line as Managing Director to lead the organisation through its next exciting chapter. From my current role as Chief Operating Officer for MTR UK, I have seen first-hand the extraordinary commitment of the MTREL team to bring the Elizabeth line to life. The results speak for themselves with the Elizabeth line seeing an average 3.6 million journeys every week, and recognised for its punctuality, reliability, and outstanding level of customer satisfaction. ‘This unwavering commitment to our customers and ambition to achieve the highest levels of performance sets the tone for the delivery of the remaining stages of the project and future operations of the landmark Elizabeth line.’ MTR UK Chief Executive Steve Murphy paid tribute to Nigel Holness’ contribution, saying: ‘Since joining us in early 2021, Nigel Holness has guided MTR Elizabeth line through one of the most enviable success stories of the rail industry. The past two years have been a challenging, exhilarating rollercoaster and ultimately a hugely successful period for the business. Nigel’s leadership during this time has been exceptional and I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to him for his contribution.’
