The Transport Secretary has today appointed Laura Shoaf as Chair
of Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR).
In the role, Laura will help drive the government's overhaul of
the railways, bringing senior leaders together to deliver
improvements for passengers and work towards a more unified
rail system. SGBR will also help
design Great British Railways – a permanent body that will
oversee railway infrastructure and services.
Before leading the WMCA, Laura was
managing director of Transport for West Midlands where she
oversaw a multi-million pound transport investment package for
the region. She was the first female chair of the Urban Transport
Group, which comprises transport leaders from across
the UK, and supported
the industry on its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recognised expert who has advised on national
policy, Laura was also one of the UK's first ‘transport champions for
tackling violence against women and girls'. Her experience
will be key in making the rail network more accessible and safer
for all passengers.
Transport Secretary, , said:
For too long, passengers have suffered from a fragmented rail
system that doesn't work in their interests – we're going to
change that.
Establishing Shadow Great British Railways is a significant step
towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its
heart by bringing together track and train – and it's fantastic
we have someone of Laura's calibre to drive forward reforms.
Laura brings immense hands-on experience of delivering change and
a shared desire to move fast and deliver change – I'm
looking forward to working with her to fix our
railways and getting Britain moving again.
SGBR Chair, Laura
Shoaf, said:
The arrival of the railways fundamentally changed the United
Kingdom – creating huge growth, new connections between
communities and opening up the opportunity of jobs and adventure
to people across the whole of the country.
I recognise the great power that our transport network plays in
our day to day lives, but in order for it to work and in order
for it to keep opening up these opportunities, it has to be built
around our passengers and freight users.
It is my privilege to have been asked to Chair Shadow Great
British Railways and my focus will be ensuring people are at the
heart of the railways and to ensure this remains a focus for
years to come.
The government's rail reforms will see an end to wasteful
fragmentation on our railways, unifying the oversight of track
and train under Great British Railways.
Ahead of legislation being passed, SGBR will lay the
groundwork for this new system, ensuring no time is wasted in
delivering better for passengers and freight.
SGBR brings together
the leaders of Network Rail, DfT's Operator of Last
Resort and DfT's Rail Services Group,
laying the tracks for a properly integrated, customer-focused
national rail network.
It will also work closely with industry partners to deliver
better services for passengers and tackle the financial
challenges facing our railways.
As Chair, Laura will be tasked with ensuring SGBR's leadership drives
forward plans for improvement and challenging industry to
deliver, while ensuring the interests of passengers, freight
users and taxpayers remain at the forefront of
everything SGBR does.
