Wednesday 3 Mar 2010
DIRECTING THE ACTION AT STATIONS: NETWORK RAIL APPOINTS NEW STATIONS CHIEF
- Region & Route:
- National
Network Rail today announces the creation of a new role of stations director to take forward its ambitious plans to transform rail stations across Great Britain. Announcing the appointment of Mike Goggin to the position, Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s director of operations and customer service said:
“Last year we announced a £3.25bn, five-year investment programme for stations. With punctuality at record levels passengers now demand better and brighter stations. This sustained investment into the shop window of the railway will improve facilities for all who use them and attract more passengers to the network.
“Passengers are at the centre of everything we do. That is why in developing our plans for stations we are asking them – the most important users of the railway – for their views under our Action Stations initiative.
“In bringing all this together, Mike Goggin will play a vital role in our task to develop the stations of the future. His management, operations and commercial experience are the right mix for this crucial new job.”
The position of stations director, reporting to Mr Gisby, will lead the development, enhancement and growth of the 2,500 network stations, be accountable for all national stations programmes and lead the development of Network Rail’s managed stations. The role will work closely with our customers – train operating companies – and third party funders to help shape future plans.
Mr Goggin, said: “This is an exciting time to be working in station development. Stations face the biggest transformation in a generation. At large, medium and small stations all over the country work is going on now, or is in advanced planning, to improve facilities for passengers.
“I look forward to playing a role in delivering this and working closely with our customers and stakeholders as we all seek to transform the journeys for passengers.”
Notes to editors
Mike Goggin joins Network Rail from leading independent transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave. His 15 years in the transport industry spans commercial, performance and operational management and procurement of bus, rail and light rail modes in the UK and overseas. In his career he has also worked at British Rail, Network Rail and Merseyrail Electrics Limited. He has an executive MBA from Lancaster University and a BSc (Hons) in international transport, from the University of Wales Cardiff.
Under the Action Stations initiative, Network Rail unveiled its 10-point station plan:
All our stations should aim to: | Our managed stations should also aim to: |
1. Be safe, secure and easy to use | 6. Be places people want to work, shop and travel |
2. Provide the information needed for passengers to plan their journeys | 7. Showcase good British design and safeguard our heritage |
3. Allow quick and easy transfer to other forms of transport | 8. Provide a hub for other modes of transport |
4. Attract people to use the rail network | 9. Act as a catalyst for the development of our major cities |
5. Have a positive impact on the environment | 10. Anticipate the changing and dynamic needs of our passengers |
Over the next five years more than 2,000 stations are to benefit from some kind of improvements. These range from the very small - a few £1,000s for a new waiting shelter – to very large, multi-million pound renovations and modernisations. Some of the top (by spend) station improvement schemes include:
£100m+
Birmingham New Street, Blackfriars, Edinburgh Waverley, Farringdon, King's Cross, London Bridge,
£20m+
Cannon Street, Glasgow Central, Paddington
£10m+
Bromsgrove, Leicester, Maidstone East, Manchester Victoria, Nottingham, Oxford, Putney, Reading Green Park,
The total investment of £3.25bn does not just come from Network Rail funds but pulls together all the investment being targeted at stations over the next five years and includes sources such as the Department for Transport, train operators, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government, passenger transport executives, local authorities and other third parties
There are around 2,500 stations owned by Network Rail across Great Britain. The company manages the largest and busiest directly. These are:
Birmingham New Street; Edinburgh Waverley; Gatwick Airport; Glasgow Central; Leeds City; Liverpool Lime Street; London Bridge; London Cannon Street; London Charing Cross; London Euston; London Fenchurch Street; London Kings Cross; London Liverpool Street; London Paddington; London St Pancras International; London Victoria; London Waterloo; Manchester Piccadilly
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - National
020 3356 8700
mediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk