Eccles to join NR Board - but for how long?

Exciting news from Network Rail!

The company hopes to appoint two new non-Exec directors, subject of course to the pliant Members rubber stamping the appointments in July.

So who are these giants of corporate governance?

Why none other than ODA Chief Executive David Higgins and railwayman's railwayman Graham Eccles.

Eccles at least should bring some much needed board focus on the needs of train operators.

But what's this?

Is NR not keen to give the uber-operator too much visibility?

Study these pictures closely, contained in NR's email release announcing the appointments, and see if you can find Mr Eccles amongst the sea of Higgins...


Looks like Network Rail spin machine is already starting to airbrush the Silver Fox out of existence.

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

Eye is being a little unfair.

Obviously this is part of NR's determination to become economic and efficient.

If all NR non-Execs were called Higgins it would save a fortune on stationery costs.

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

This is what happens when I don't check releases before they go out.

Rest assured it was put right in minutes of the email going out and the website version is correct.

Of course it's not a surfeit of Higginses we have at Network Rail, but of Eccleses.

Graham, of course, joins his brother Richard who is our head of route planning

UPDATE: This from Driver Potter...

Right, I want to make things clear at the outset that I'm only asking because I don't want to look an idiot later on.

The Missing Eccles isn't the same as The Famous Eccles, is he?



Eye is sure NR's Eccles will be paying a similar amount of attention to times written down on a piece of paper...