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Wednesday 25 Oct 2023

Network Rail confirms appointment of Lucy McAuliffe to run the railway in Sussex

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Sussex

Network Rail’s Southern region has appointed Lucy McAuliffe as its permanent Sussex route director to lead the operation of one of the busiest rail networks in the country.

Lucy was appointed acting route director last December following two years as Southern region’s stations and security director, and since then has been overseeing efforts to improve reliability on the Sussex route.

Prior to this, Lucy has developed her leadership experience right across the transport industry including in bus, coach, rail and aviation - from managing stations to working for Network Rail High Speed before moving to lead signalling, control and incident response operations.

Lucy also worked at Gatwick Airport as head of passenger security before returning to Network Rail’s Southern region in 2021 as stations and security director. 

Lucy is passionate about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supports behaviours which reflect Network Rail Southern region’s culture principles - show you care; listen, learn and improve; and keep it simple.

Network Rail’s Sussex route is among the busiest and most congested in the country, carrying 3,200 trains every weekday. The route includes the Brighton Main Line and provides a direct rail link to Gatwick Airport, the country’s second busiest international airport.

Some of the oldest railway infrastructure can also be found along the Sussex route which is why Network Rail has spent more than £750m to improve the track, signalling, structures and stations as part of the Sussex Upgrades programme.

Lucy said: “I’m delighted to have been permanently appointed Sussex route director to oversee this critical and brilliant part of the railway network. The route plays a key part in connecting passengers from London to Brighton and across the south-east of England as well as supporting commuters, leisure travellers and critical freight services.

“I’m looking forward to continuing working closely with our numerous train company partners who operate across the Sussex route as well with a brilliant team of dedicated and excellent colleagues. My primary focus remains supporting our railway industry colleagues and working with our many stakeholders to deliver a safe and reliable service for our 300,000* customers who travel with us every day."

Ellie Burrows, regional managing director for Network Rail’s Southern region, said: “I’m delighted that Lucy has been appointed as the permanent route director for Sussex.

“Lucy has done a fantastic job leading the Sussex team and I’m really pleased to be able to recognise her commitment.

“Our Sussex route is an integral part of the rail network and I have every confidence in Lucy’s ability and experience to help us keep exploring ways of improving the performance of our railway and putting passengers at the heart of everything we do.”