Sir John Kingman appointed as Great British Railways Chair

The government has appointed Sir John Kingman as the first Chair of Great British Railways (GBR), marking another important step towards bringing the railways back under public control.

Sir John will begin his duties as Chair immediately and will play a critical role in shaping the design of the new organisation, continuing the integration of train and track operations and driving industry readiness for transition, as the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament.

Once GBR is formally established, Sir John will lead the third biggest public sector organisation in Britain. As Chair, he will work closely with the rail industry and devolved transport bodies with a relentless focus on improving passenger experience and improving services.

Sir John brings a wealth of experience forged in distinguished careers in both government and the private sector. His experience in leadership of national, customer-focused businesses, such as the Chair of Barclays UK PLC, and as the former Chair of Legal and General Group PLC and Tesco Personal Finance, will be invaluable to improving the experience of passengers and management of the network as GBR is established.

Sir John has also served as Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury, where he played a central role in the UK government’s response to the financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Northern Rock and negotiated on Greater Manchester’s flagship devolution deal. He later became the first Chair of UK Research and Innovation, where he oversaw £8 billion in annual science funding.

Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: