The new chair of Network Rail has warned that the creation of Great British Railways and associated reforms must never be at the expense of safety and performance.

Richard George was speaking after his appointment had been announced by transport secretary Heidi Alexander. She has also named former Network Rail chief executive Sir Andrew Haines as the chair of DfT Operator Ltd, which runs recently nationalised operators until Great British Railways can take over.

Mr George has most recently been the chair of DfT Operator, and his previous jobs have included managing director of FirstGroup’s Great Western Trains and HS1 project director for Eurostar.

Sir Andrew’s experience before he became chief executive of Network Rail included working for Stagecoach Group as managing director of South West Trains and later as the managing director of FirstGroup’s First Rail division.

The Bill which will create Great British Railways has reached committee stage in the House of Commons, while the next former franchises to be moved to the public sector are West Midlands Trains on 1 February and then Govia Thameslink Railway on 31 May. After that, Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway are set to follow later this year.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘With legislation now making its way through Parliament, we’re making good progress with our ambitious programme of rail reform. When Great British Railways is established, it will help us to deliver a network which is run for the public, owned by the public.

‘Richard and Sir Andrew both bring a wealth of experience, helping to improve passenger experience and operational performance, supporting the integration of our railways and building towards the world-class railway we will see under Great British Railways.’

‘I’d like to thank Mike Putnam for his work overseeing Network Rail. I’m pleased we will continue to benefit from his knowledge and skills as he remains part of the Network Rail board.’

Sir Andrew said: ‘I am delighted to be joining DFTO at this pivotal time, as it focuses on its mission of successfully bringing more services into public ownership and helping create Great British Railways. I look forward to working closely with so many talented colleagues from the publicly owned train operating companies, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry.’

Richard George said: ‘I am delighted and honoured to be appointed Chair of Network Rail. The rail reform journey we are on towards the creation of Great British Railways is an exciting one with changes across all railway organisations including Network Rail as we work to create an integrated railway fit for the 21st century.

‘But those changes must never be at the expense of safety and operational performance, and the whole system relies on Network Rail to deliver that. I am excited to be a part of this, leading Network Rail, alongside DFTO and the publicly-owned train operators to improve performance on the railway and drive rail reform.’

Both Sir Andrew and Mr George will start their new jobs on 2 February.

Meanwhile, the Railway Industry Association has welcomed the appointments. RIA’s chair Noel Travers said: ‘We and the rail supply sector look forward to working with both industry leaders, as they oversee the railway industry’s development in 2026 and help to establish Great British Railways.’

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