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Transport heavyweight Lord Peter Hendy has been appointed as a minister of state in the new government.
At the time of his appointment, Lord Hendy was chair of rail infrastructure operator Network Rail.
Peter Hendy pictured last year
He was London’s Transport Commissioner for nine years, before being appointed as chair of Network Rail in 2015 following financial difficulties over its 2014-19 investment programme.
In November 2015, he published a report to the then transport secretary – known as the Hendy Review – on how Network Rail intended to replan its investment programme.
Only last June (2023), he was reappointed to chair Network Rail for a further two years, including overseeing its part in the transition to Great British Railways.
Lord Hendy also led the Union Connectivity Review in 2021, which explored ways in which transport could better connect the UK.
He was awarded a CBE in 2006 for services to public transport and knighted in the 2013 New Year’s Honours list.
In November 2022, he received a life peerage as Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, sitting as a crossbench peer.
At the time of writing, transport secretary Louise Haigh was the only other minister in the Department for Transport and Lord Hendy’s area of responsibility had not yet been announced.
Channel: Infrastructure
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Louise Haigh has been appointed secretary of state for transport, after serving as the shadow secretary since November 2021.
The MP for Sheffield Heeley has sat in the Commons since 2015 and held a string of shadow cabinet posts, including shadow Nothern Ireland secretary, and shadow ministerial positions for the Home Office, Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
She will be in charge of a capital spend of £20.5bn for 2024-25 and a resource budget of £5.7bn. She is also leading one of Labour's more radical briefs, with a range of specific pledges that run further to the left of the party than PM Starmer usually steered.
The Labour manifesto promised to bring the railways into public ownership 'as contracts expire or are broken through a failure to deliver'.
The planned Great British Railways body, currently in transition form, 'will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility,' Labour said.
It also pledged to hand local mayors sweeping integrated transport powers, including new powers to deliver bus franchising and set up municipal bus companies and influence rail services in their areas.
One immediate challenge Ms Haigh faces is to restore the phase-out date of 2030 for new cars with internal combustion engines, With recent Conservative governments flip-flopping on the date, there will be some focus on whether Ms Haigh keeps to this pledge.
Ms Haigh is generally regarded as a skilful media operator and communicator and has made appearances on Question Time and Newsnight.
She is also recognisable for her distinctive look, often including dyed hair, once described as 'a colourised 1940s photo brought to life' - a description which she seemed to approve of on Twitter.
Channel: Infrastructure
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Mott MacDonald has reappointed Professor Glenn Lyons as Chair of Future Mobility, as he begins his term as the new president of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).
The engineering, development and management consultancy is continuing its sponsorship of his position at the University of the West of England Bristol (UWE Bristol).
Having worked in the role with Mott MacDonald and UWE Bristol since January 2018, Prof Lyons' tenure has been extended through to the end of 2027.
Professor Lyons (wearing Megadeth t-shirt) with outgoing CIHT president Karen McShane
Mott MacDonald said that since taking up the role, he ‘has been instrumental in positioning the business as a leader in the transport planning conversation, particularly in areas such as decide and provide, vision-led planning and triple access planning’.
Graeme Smith, divisional general manager for Transport and Mobility Solutions, said: ‘Glenn’s continued leadership ensures we can support clients in understanding and responding to the developing mobility landscape, shaped by emerging technological possibilities and evolving societal needs and preferences.’
Prof Lyons said: ‘I am delighted to continue this important journey with Mott MacDonald as we all grapple with providing appropriate stewardship over the future of transport and society.’
‘Combining that work with my presidency of CIHT is an honour and allows me to continue to focus upon issues that are dear to me.’
Prof Lyons was elected president of the CIHT at its annual general meeting on 19 June. At his inauguration event, he said: ‘Climate action will require us to think and act differently. Technologically tweaking business as usual isn’t going to make the changes we need to achieve net-zero. The longer we drag our feet on collective action, the worse things are going to become.
‘I am keen to better understand where CIHT members stand on climate action at both a personal and professional level.’
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Ann Carruthers has set out her priorities for the year ahead as she stepped into the role of president of directors’ body ADEPT.
Ms Carruthers, who is director of environment and transport at Leicestershire County Council, took over from Anthony Payne at the organisation’s spring conference on Thursday (16 May).
She was previously vice president of ADEPT and the first female chair of Transport and Connectivity Board.
She is also a member of the Highways Sector Council and a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.
Speaking to The MJ, she said: ‘We’ve had loads of challenges with funding in terms of local government, in areas like adult and children’s social care, housing, and so forth.
‘The probably inadequate funding models for those services leave place services even more under pressure. Place services are discretionary, and they are the ones that have to shrink to absorb some of that pressure in other areas.’
In her inaugural address at the ADEPT President’s Awards, Ms Carruthers outlined her key priorities for the year, which will focus on building resilience.
This will include:
- Resilience across place services in what and how we deliver
- Resilient organisations against a backdrop of changing local government landscape
- Resilience for ourselves and our people.
Ms Carruthers defined resilience across place services as ‘what will we be delivering in the future to ensure we are creating resilient places that are adapting to climate change and driving forward decarbonisation, with limited funding’.
In terms of resilient organisations, she said: ‘We are seeing many structures evolving – combined authorities, devolution deals, no devolution deals and that’s on top of unitary/two tier structures; how as place leaders do we ensure our places benefit regardless of the structures we operate in?
On the issue of ADEPT members’ personal resilience and that of local authority staff, she said: ‘Being place leaders has never been more challenging; how do we look after ourselves and encourage the next generation of place leaders to step up to the mark while motivating our teams in what is a challenging sector given public and political expectations?’
Before joining Leicestershire CC in 2017, Ms Carruthers worked with local authorities across Scotland and England, including Edinburgh City Council and Kent County Council.
She also spent time in New Zealand, working for the agency managing the country’s state highway network.
In a post on LinkedIn on Friday she wrote: ‘Truly honoured to have taken over as ADEPT President yesterday for the coming year. I have the tough act of Anthony Payne to follow.
‘He mentioned yesterday he was asked what his first act as president was when he took up the mantle.
'Mine is breakfast then let's get on with it! Day 1 and loads to do.’
See this week's MJ for the full interview
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Transport for London (TfL) has appointed Claire Mann, currently managing director of South Western Railway (SWR), as its new chief operating officer.
Ms Mann will take up the post previously occupied by Andy Lord, who became TfL's interim transport commissioner last year with the departure of Andy Byford and was given the post permanently this summer.
Mr Lord said: ‘Claire is an outstanding transport professional with deep experience of improving customer service.
Claire Mann
‘At a time when customer numbers continue to rise and we work to support London's post-pandemic recovery and attract new customers, Claire's customer focus and wide-ranging public transport industry background will play a vital role in our work.
'We are delighted to have her return to TfL in this key leadership position.’
Ms Mann said: ‘I am passionate about delivering an excellent customer experience across all of TfL's varied and vital services and helping TfL and London to prosper.'
TfL said Ms Mann will be responsible for ensuring that its directly operated and contracted services and operations are planned and managed effectively to provide a safe, efficient, reliable and high-quality service to customers at a crucial time for London's transport network.
The role will see her lead the planning and delivery of services on the Tube, Elizabeth Line, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as well as the bus and tram networks, cable car and Santander Cycle Hire.
She will also have responsibility for the management of TfL roads and road infrastructure, policing and security of the transport network and TfL's regulation of the taxi and private hire industry.
Ms Mann was TfL’s director of bus operations between 2017 and 2021 and returns after three years at SWR, where she oversaw the introduction of a £1bn fleet of new trains and led the £26m modernisation of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight.
In more than two decades in the transport sector, she also held roles at DLR, Arriva Trains Wales, the former First Great Western (now GWR), and London Overground.
Glynn Barton, who has led TfL’s operations on an interim basis since October 2022, will continue as chief operating officer until Ms Mann joins at the end of March 2024.
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
