Sir John Kingman appointed first chair of Great British Railways

Sir John Kingman has been appointed the first chair of Great British Railways (GBR), a new public body tasked with reforming the nation's rail network. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed the appointment on Friday, 16 October. Kingman, who also chairs Barclays UK, will immediately begin his duties.

In his role, Kingman will help shape the new organisation, oversee the integration of train and track operations, and drive industry readiness for the transition. This comes as the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament. Once formally established, GBR is expected to be the third-largest public sector organisation in Britain.

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Focus on Passenger Experience and National Growth

Kingman will work closely with the rail industry and devolved transport bodies, with a stated focus on improving passenger experience and services. He previously served as second permanent secretary at HM Treasury, where he played a key role in the government's response to the financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Northern Rock. He also negotiated Greater Manchester’s devolution deal and was the first chair of UK Research and Innovation, managing £8bn in annual science funding.

It is a privilege to be involved in rail’s next chapter making sure that public ownership of the railways delivers change that people can see. I want to help to build a simpler, more unified railway that puts the interests of the passengers and customers first, supports growth and creates opportunity across the country.

Sir John Kingman, GBR Chair

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Transport secretary Heidi Alexander stated that Kingman's appointment is a defining moment in the mission to put passengers first and rebuild Britain's railways. She added that his record across government and industry makes him the right leader for this transformation. Alexander expressed her anticipation of working with him to deliver a more reliable railway.

Derby to Host GBR Headquarters

The announcement of Kingman's appointment follows the recent confirmation that GBR's planned headquarters will be at Becketwell in Derby. The DfT anticipates that this location will bring hundreds of rail jobs to the city and provide an estimated £151 million boost to the regional economy.

The government highlighted that passengers are already experiencing benefits from the move towards public ownership of train operators ahead of GBR's full establishment. Publicly owned operators are reported by the DfT to perform better on average than those remaining in private hands. Fares have been frozen this year for the first time in three decades, and 76,000 additional seats per week have been introduced on publicly operated services across the network.