Hynes moves on, does Scotland’s railway move too?
It was possibly the least surprising head-hunting move of the year. The Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway and Network Rail Scotland, Alex Hynes, has been appointed Director General for rail services at the Department for Transport. The UK government body was as near to delighted as a corporate entity can get, as it announced yesterday’s (Tuesday) appointment. One of the best-known names in the UK rail industry has taken up one of the highest-profile positions in the railway’s administration. Alex will join the DfT on a two-year secondment from his current position as managing director of Scotland’s Railway on 15 April 2024.
The signing of Alex Hynes, by the Department for Transport, has all the hallmarks of a star striker moving in a sensational transfer deal. The news could just as easily have been on the back pages. Insiders have been speculating feverishly for some time about the potential move. With a stellar record at Northern, the biggest route-mileage franchise in Britain, and then at ScotRail, the biggest franchise by geographical area, a call from Whitehall can hardly have come as a surprise. Back in Scotland, the question is where will the nationalised operation north of the border look to next for a new managing director.
Good scoring record
Moving on to a UK national role, Hynes can expect to step straight into the first team, when he takes up his appointment next month. In his current role, Alex has successfully led Scotland’s Railway team, which has been accountable for devolving more responsibility for rail in Scotland, while managing the complex relationships with the government in Edinburgh, Transport Scotland (the civil service agency in Scotland), and Scottish Rail Holdings, the Scottish-government’s own arms-length company set up to take responsibility for the railway (still branded as ScotRail) when passenger operations were nationalised in 2022 (after Dutch-owned Abellio was stripped of its franchise). There’s also the day-to-day liaison with Network Rail. A Whitehall desk may seem like something of a relaxation.
Hynes however, has never taken a relaxed attitude. Calm under pressure may be a better assessment of his temperament in front of goal. “Our railways play a vital role connecting people right across the country”, he said.“ One of my primary objectives in my current role has been to deliver a better, safer and more reliable railway for our passengers and our staff across the country. I am proud that over the past five years, Scotland’s Railway has become more efficient and improved the reliability of train services for our customers. We have redeveloped Glasgow Queen Street station, opened new freight facilities, and delivered a programme of electrification, which has enabled ScotRail to transform the quality of service to passengers on those routes.”
Scotland’s loss is the Department’s gain
Cooing like a sheepskin-coated manager in the technical area, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said how pleased he was for Alex and Britain’s railways. “Alex’s wide-ranging career has been fantastic preparation for the opportunities this new role presents, at a time when Britain’s railways are transitioning to a new and better model. His impressive leadership of Scotland’s Railway is the latest example of this and means he will be much missed. But of course, we wish him well in his new role and look forward to working closely with him.”
Meanwhile, there is a question mark over operations in Scotland. “Scotland’s Railway’s loss is the UK Department for Transport’s gain”, said David Lowrie, who holds the positions of ScotRail Chair and Scottish Rail Holdings Chief Executive. “It has been a pleasure to work with Alex over the past few years. He has a strong track record of success in his seven years at the helm of ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland. [He is] leaving behind a railway that is the best performing large operator in Britain, with the fastest growing passenger numbers in Britain, and where nine out of ten passengers are satisfied with our service. That’s a record of which to be proud.”
Lowrie is not the only player with two positions. As managing director of Scotland’s Railway, Alex Hynes is joint MD for both Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail. Perhaps two signings are needed in the next transfer window.
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