A busy day for TfL and those named Howard!
This from Crossrail...
Crossrail today announced the appointment of Howard Smith as Operations Director.
Howard Smith is currently Chief Operating Officer for Rail at
Transport for London and has successfully led the £1bn East London Line
extension project as well as the development, launch and operation of
London Overground and management of its operating concession.
Howard Smith will be responsible for leading the development of
Crossrail’s operational and customer service strategy, defining the
structure of the new railway’s operating and maintenance organisations
as well as leading on the arrangements for the future Crossrail
operating concession.
Note the magic word 'concession'.
What possible reason, apart from DLR and London Overground, could Crossrail have for preferring a concession over the hugely discredited and thinly capitalised franchising model? (shurely: "highly successful and investment rich franchising model"? Ed)
