Names of new NR RMDs announced

Network Rail has announced the names of the remaining Route Managing Directors for its new devolved structure.

Reporting into Robin Gisby, managing director, Network Operations are:

• Anglia - Dave Ward
  
  
• East Midlands - Martin Frobisher
  
  
• Kent - Fiona Taylor
  
  
• London North Eastern (LNE) - Phil Verster (from early Nov 2011)
  
  
• London North Western (LNW) - Jo Kaye
  
  
• Scotland - David Simpson
  
  
• Sussex - Mark Ruddy
  
  
• Wales - Mark Langman
  
  
• Wessex - Richard O'Brien
  
  
• Western - Patrick Hallgate

New roles for Richard Lungmuss and Andrew Munden will be announced shortly.

Go live date is the 14th November when the RMD designate appointments become effective.

Network Rail Projects goes back to the future

Eye notices with interest that Network Rail is opening up to 'contestability'.

This from the FT:

Under the plans, Network Rail’s project planning unit will be turned into a separate business and forced to compete with outside bidders to design and manage engineering projects in the UK. It will also be encouraged to pitch for similar work outside Britain, possibly in fast-developing rail markets, such as the United Arab Emirates.

Interesting too that NR's Simon Kirby hopes that his Directorate will be able to offer NR's accumulated wisdom worldwide.

An idea that will resonate with those who recall the value of BR and LT's former international consultancy arms.

NR announces more Route MDs

This from Network Rail...

Route managing directors confirmed for more routes

With the next routes moving to a devolved structure in October 2011, new route managing directors for Kent & HS1, LNW and Wales have now been appointed. The new route managing director for Western has also been announced as a result of the changes in Wales. All roles will be designate until the routes go live.

Dave Ward has been appointed RMD, Kent & HS1; Jo Kaye, RMD LNW; Mark Langman, RMD Wales and, in due course, Patrick Hallgate will take up the role of RMD Western, which will no longer include Wales.

“We've seen some outstanding candidates for these roles,” said Robin Gisby, Managing Director, Network Operations.

Using an independent and objective approach, all candidates were assessed and rated against a comparable external benchmark, giving a clear picture of capability and potential for an RMD role.

“It's been a rigorous and challenging selection process,” he continued, “and I'm confident we have the right people to take up the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

- ENDS -

Network Rail appoints first two route MDs

This from Network Rail...

DEVOLUTION TODAY FOR SCOTLAND AND WESSEX ROUTES AS NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES MORE CHANGES

Network Rail's devolved route structure went live today in Scotland and Wessex. David Simpson (Scotland) and Richard O’Brien (Wessex) have been confirmed as the new route managing directors following the completion of the assessment process and safety validation.

Work continues to help the next three routes (Wales, Kent/HS1 and London North Western) get ready for go-live by October 2011.

Also today Network Rail outlined a timetable for further intended changes linked to changing its route structures:

• A new function will be created in June 2011. Called network operations, it will be led by Robin Gisby – currently director of operations and customer services. This will completely replace operations and customer services; all teams from that function will work in network operations

• A new position of freight director will be created in network operations

• 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

The remaining routes will all go live no later than March 2012

Commenting on the planned changes to both operations and maintenance, Mr Gisby said: “We have to make sure that we support the changes and opportunities that will emerge in our devolved routes with a centre that is able to match the pace of delivery they will demand. With maintenance and operations working so closely in our new route structure to meet our customer needs, it makes a lot of sense to do the same centrally.”

Note to editors

A route is a geographical operational unit. At the moment the country has nine of these (with a tenth one to be created in Wales) with a route director managing the day to day operation of the railway there

Network Rail's Wessex route matches the lines operated by South West Trains out of Waterloo covering parts of south west London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset

These changes will devolve more power, responsibility and accountability onto the new business units which include transferring responsibility from the centre to the new role of route managing director, including:

• safety
• all customer service matters
• asset management outputs and spend
• operations
• planning and delivering maintenance
• delivery of some renewals and enhancements.

The devolved businesses will be empowered to innovate within a framework which maintains the company’s focus on making the most of network benefits, minimising whole-life costs, and providing a seamless service for all customers and rail users.

- ENDS -

UPDATE: Additional biographical details for David Simpson, Route Director (and designate MD) for Scotland:

David Simpson was originally from Blantyre, Lanarkshire, grew up in South Dorset and currently lives in South Ayrshire

He studied a Bachelor of Science in Transport Planning and Operation and Aston University in Birmingham

He was accepted into British Rail’s graduate scheme in 1986, which led to operational management roles in South-East England, including in performance and freight, where he helped to maintain a high quality of delivery to the customer during privatisation

That led to work in Railtrack restructuring signallers

He then left Railtrack to work with two freight companies: Mainline Freight then EWS

He returned to Railtrack East Anglia in 1998, moving to commercial roles, eg Route Business Manager for West Anglia, in which role he was part of the new focus on meeting customer needs on a route-by-route basis

Following Network Rail’s creation, he went to the Midlands in 2002 as General Manager of West Coast Main Line (South). In this role he was heavily involved in route modernisation work and the introduction of Pendolino “tilt trains” to the line

In October 2005 he was appointed route director of Scotland, in which capacity he has significantly improved performance in Scotland through much closer work with maintenance teams and First Scotrail

Eye is awaiting biographical details on the Wessex designate MD Richard O'Brien.

UPDATE: Additional biographical details for Richard O'Brien route director (and MD designate) for Wessex:

Richard O'Brien MIRO is currently Network Rail Route Director for Wessex and has been appointed Network Rail's route managing director for Wessex.

Richard is a qualified Civil Engineer and has worked both here in the UK and in Africa.

He joined the UK rail industry over a decade ago, with previous roles including General Manager and Head of Planning and Industry Performance.

Good to see that NR has appointed a Member of the Institution of Railway Operators to this important role.

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

David Simpson would like to point out that he too is a member of the Institution of Railway Operators.

He puts the letters FIRO after his name.

Oooh. A Fellow of the IRO! Eye is impressed.

Eye solves NR's recruitment problem

This from Leo Pink...

I note that Network Rail is advertising for Managing Directors on its website.

Would not it make more sense to advertise for these new Regional Managing Directors in the Australian or Irish press, since those seem to be the countries of choice for ex British Rail senior managers who know how to run a railway?

Advertising in the UK press will only get applications from TOC directors (much to the annoyance of Philip Hammond) or people from other industries who think running a railway is easy (much to the annoyance of everyone else).

And we all recall where importing such thrusting new executives left Railtrack in days gone by...