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Wednesday 21 Oct 2026

Journey to Great British Railways: New leadership appointment puts customers at the heart of Britain’s railway

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National

• David Horne appointed as Integrated Chief Customer and Commercial Officer (ICCCO), bringing customer insight and commercial leadership together ahead of Great British Railways (GBR).
• The new role will put customers at the heart of decisions and lead a single customer and commercial strategy for the railway.

David Horne, currently Managing Director of London North Eastern Railway (LNER), has been appointed as Integrated Chief Customer and Commercial Officer (ICCCO), a new industry-wide role that will help shape a customer-first railway.

Since joining LNER in 2018, David has played a leading role in bringing the publicly owned operator and Network Rail's East Coast Route closer together. He will now bring that experience to his new role, having also led significant improvements to services and the customer experience, including the introduction of the Azuma trains, Family Lounges and the highly rated LNER app.

David will start his new role in November, leading the development and delivery of a single customer and commercial strategy for the railway – working closely with government, operators, the freight sector and other industry partners. The role will help align customer insight and commercial priorities across the railway to improve the experience of passengers and freight customers, while supporting efforts to increase revenue and make better use of the railway as a whole.

Appointing David ahead of the establishment of GBR is another important step in bringing the railway together around the needs of its customers. It will support closer working across the industry and help turn the ambition for rail reform into practical improvements for passengers and freight customers.

Alex Hynes, DFTO Chief Executive, said: “David brings a wealth of experience, particularly in driving real, tangible change that matters to customers.

“From delivering modern trains to introducing simpler ticketing, he has shown how public ownership can deliver for the people and places it serves. His focus now turns to putting customers at the heart of a new era for Britain’s railway, as we accelerate towards GBR.”

Jeremy Westlake, Network Rail Chief Executive, said: “As we move towards GBR, we have a real opportunity to put passengers and freight customers at the heart of how we run the railway. That means making journeys simpler, more accessible and more reliable, and making it easier for people to choose rail. We’re delighted that David will be leading this work and helping us turn that ambition into real improvements for our customers.”