NR LAUNCHES REGIONAL STRUCTURE

NETWORK RAIL launched its revised structure on 24 June, aimed at accelerating devolution and shifting decision-making power to smaller, regional organisations.

The five Regions are:

▀ Scotland (led by Alex Hynes);

▀ Southern (led by John Halsall);

▀ Wales and Western (led by Mark Langman);

▀ Eastern (led by Rob McIntosh); and

▀ North West and Central (led by Tim Shoveller).

The new structure is the brainchild of chief executive Andrew Haines, who is aiming to give local managers the levers and authority to tackle performance issues head-on.

‘Addressing the decline in train performance for our passengers is our priority and I’m pleased to say we’re already beginning to see signs of improvement’ said Mr Haines. ‘Moreover, the changes we are making today will help us to build on this and deliver the service that passengers and freight users deserve.’

Below the five Regions will sit 14 Routes, an increase on the previous eight. When NR first announced the restructuring plans it said there would be 13 Routes, but has since added a fourteenth, the West Coast Mainline South Route, covering the WCML from Crewe to London Euston.

The new position of route director will formally come into being later in the summer. Until that point, NR has filled the vacant Route Managing Director posts on an acting basis:

▀ South East – Sam Chessex;

▀ Wessex – David Dickson;

▀ London North Western – David Golding;

▀ Western – Mike Gallop.

Bill Kelly continues as Wales and Borders RMD on an interim basis, as does Meliha Duymaz in Anglia, while Rob McIntosh will continue as London North Eastern & East Midlands RMD alongside his new role as Eastern Region MD.

NR says recruitment is ongoing for the new route director roles, which will be key members of new regional leadership teams.

At the same time, former LNW RMD Martin Frobisher takes up the group Safety, Technical and Engineering Director role, in an interim move prior to the group engineering director technical authority role being introduced next year. Nick King, joining from Queensland Rail in Australia, took up the Network Services directorship on 15 July.