LONDON, March 20 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Shadow GBRmovestoa newphaseinMarch 2026asLauraShoaf joins the DFTO board, creating a solid foundation for the next stage of rail reform * DFTO boardalso welcomes Tony Poulter, former GBR Transition TeamNon-Executive Director * developmentsbringexpertstogether tocontinue topave theway for thecreation ofGBRin 2027

A new era for railway leadershipbeginsasLaura Shoaf and Tony Poulter are appointedas non-executive directorstothe Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) board, helping to set up Great British Railways(GBR).

The appointments mark the official transitiontowards GBRfrom Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR),chaired by Laura Shoaf.

Under Laura's leadership,Alex Hynes,Chief Executive,DFTO,Richard Goodman,Director General forRail Reform and Strategy in the Department for Transportand Jeremy Westlake,Chief Executive, Network Rail have worked togethertoestablish improvedways of working and create the blueprintfor howGBR will workin the future- aframeworkwhich is already being followed with integrated leadership in place to bring together track and train in theSouthEastand East Anglia.

It has helpedtodeliver change, reduce wasteandput the interests of passengersat the heart of decision making.Thisworkleavesa powerful foundationrail leaders willbuild ontodeliverthe government's ambitiousrail reformsgoing forward.

In her new role on the DFTOboard, Laurawillcontinue hercritical role in ensuring passengers' and staff's voices are heard in theway the railway is run, now and in the future.

Tony Poulter will also join the DFTOBoard, bringing significant passenger and commercial experience. As a member of the Department for Transport (DFT)Board, he hasprovidedspecialist support and strategic advice on Rail Reform.He was previously a partner at PwC.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:

The leadersworkingatSGBRhaveset the standardfor the futureof British railways.Undertheirdirection,teamsarenow working together to end years of fragmentation and inefficiencyand develop creative and innovative ways of improving the rail network.

Both Laura and Tony will bring expert knowledge and experience to the DFTOboard as we get ready for GBR. I look forward to working with them to deliver thereliable,affordableand modern railwaypassengersdeserve.

Passengers are alreadybenefitingfrom SGBR's work across the railway network. For example, if there's a disruption, tickets are accepted by all other publicly owned operators, so people can still reach their destinations without spending an extrapenny. They also piloted innovative digital ticketing trials in Yorkshire and the East Midlands and made it easier for passengers travelling on Northern or LNER services to find journey information in one place through a single app. This work, alongside removing waste and reducing operational costs, is directly contributing to the future design and function of GBR.

Prior to SGBR, Laura was the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands. She was also the first female chair of the Urban Transport Group and 1 of the 2 figures appointed as the UK's first 'transport champions for tackling violence against women andgirls'.

Sir Andrew Haines, chair of DFTO, said:

Laura and Tony havevery significantexperience over a wide range of complementary sectors and will play a vital role in supporting DFTO's mission to deliver for customers and help build Great British Railways.

I look forward to working with them both as we continue the transfer programme, implement rail reform and improve performance across the network - work that will benefit passengers and represent better value for taxpayers.

More than 8,500 services are now running daily through publicly owned train operators under DFTO, helping over 660 million passengers get where they need to go each year. The DFTO board is tasked with ensuring the smooth transition to public ownership, operators are deliveringvalue for money and a consistently better experience for passengers.

There are now 8 train operators in public ownership:LNER, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express,South WesternRailway,c2c, Greater AngliaandWM Trains.The next operator to move into public ownership is Govia Thameslink Railway on 31 May 2026.

Rail and major projects media enquiries

Media enquiries 0300 7777878

Switchboard 0300 330 3000

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.