David Horne launches the Azuma fleet at London King’s Cross in May 2019

LNER managing director David Horne has been named as the integrated chief customer and commercial officer at Great British Railways.

He was formerly the managing director of East Midlands Trains and then joined Virgin Trains East Coast. When that franchise failed in 2018, he was appointed to run VTEC’s nationalised successor LNER and will now start his new job next month. He is also a non-executive director of the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

He will be responsible for developing customer and commercial strategies, improving the service while supporting efforts to increase revenue and make better use of the railway.

DfTO chief executive Alex Hynes 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.’

Network Rail chief executive Jeremy Westlake added: ‘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.’

The news of David’s appointment comes only a few days after Sir John Kingman was named as the first chair of Great British Railways.

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