Alex Hynes new CEO of DfT Operator

[Nicholas Lewis]

Dft has appointed Alex Hynes as the new CEO of DfTO which is a good move to bring an experienced operator into the role. Hopefully they will also now remove Alex's role from the DfT so we start to see the balance swinging from DfT to GBR.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/alex-hynes-named-as-new-ceo-of-dft-operator

Alex Hynes has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Department for Transport Operator Limited (DFTO) to lead the next phase in the transition to Great British Railways.

DFTO is the government body which is bringing all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership ahead of the creation of Great British Railways.

With significant experience in both the rail industry and Department for Transport, his appointment will support the government’s mission to bring together track and train – delivering a better service for passengers.

 

[Rab Smith]

A great signing! They're lucky to have Alex. He has a brilliant railway mentality.

 

[Wyrleybart]

So does DFTO transition into GBR when the legalities are sorted ?

 

[cactustwirly]

Wasn't he the CEO of the old Serco Northern?
Not exactly the most well run operation

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wasn't he the CEO of the old Serco Northern?
Not exactly the most well run operation

My observation of him there was that he did come out with a fair bit of bluster, but equally SercoNedNorthern was very much run on a shoestring so, unlike today's Northern, there wasn't really the money for genuinely improving things, so making it look a bit better was probably the best they were able to do. That franchise was (aside from the electrification, but equally that used second hand 319s) very much let on a "managed decline" basis, but vastly increasing passenger numbers took it by surprise.

On balance I'd rather him than David "compulsory reservations" Horne.

 

[mikeg]

Well he beats David "Compulsory Reservations" Horne. But isn't he Alex "Penalty Fake" Hynes?

 

[Bletchleyite]

But isn't he Alex "Penalty Fake" Hynes?

Now that's a blast from the past!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

So does DFTO transition into GBR when the legalities are sorted ?

Alex Hynes must now be front runner to run GBR when it is established, as he is clearly a DfT favourite.
But HMG might want somebody from outside the industry for the top job who is seen as a political and business heavyweight.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Alex Hynes must now be front runner to run GBR when it is established, as he is clearly a DfT favourite.

To be fair to him he does have experience with track-train integration, having been in charge of the partnership in Scotland.

 

[YorksLad12]

My observation of him there was that he did come out with a fair bit of bluster, but equally SercoNedNorthern was very much run on a shoestring so, unlike today's Northern, there wasn't really the money for genuinely improving things, so making it look a bit better was probably the best they were able to do. That franchise was (aside from the electrification, but equally that used second hand 319s) very much let on a "managed decline" basis, but vastly increasing passenger numbers took it by surprise.

On balance I'd rather him than David "compulsory reservations" Horne.

He always used to remind me of an Army Captain who'd been educated in one our finest public schools. No idea why!

Ten-plus years ago I had some PR/public affairs dealings with him and Richard Allen (now at Chiltern, I think) and never had a problem with either. It will be interesting to see what he can do with 'money', as opposed to that no-growth Northern franchise.

 

[KatieLouLou]

Hopefully they will also now remove Alex's role from the DfT so we start to see the balance swinging from DfT to GBR.

Alex's role doesn't exist in DfT in any case after 1 April when the majority of the DfT civil servants in the rail team transfer to DFTO and hence, will now continue to work for Alex.

 

[sh24]

This would seem a good appointment. A industry pro, who has managed track + train and had to deal with the politics in Scotland.

Good luck to him!

 

[Fawkes Cat]

But HMG might want somebody from outside the industry for the top job who is seen as a political and business heavyweight.

Someone from outside as Chair, Alex Hynes as CEO?

 

[Gordonman]

Someone from outside as Chair, Alex Hynes as CEO?

Angela Raynor?

 

[NER1621]

Angela Raynor?

No idea who that is. But there is an Angela Rayner who used to be Deputy PM.

 

[Deepgreen]

The trouble is that there is no-one left now who has genuine experience of proper integration, which is what is required and what was abandoned with privatisation. The good leaders from the pre-privatisation era either left in disgust or soldiered on for a while, but, either way, the knowledge and ethos was not passed on because it was not required under the new model. Everyone today (through no fault of their own) is lacking this experience, by default.

 

[chris_in_salop]

A great signing! They're lucky to have Alex. He has a brilliant railway mentality.

What's he ever done? To the vast majority of the British people, "railway mentality" is hardly a ringing endorsement.

 

[TUC]

My observation of him there was that he did come out with a fair bit of bluster, but equally SercoNedNorthern was very much run on a shoestring so, unlike today's Northern, there wasn't really the money for genuinely improving things, so making it look a bit better was probably the best they were able to do.

In what way is 'today's Northern' any better?

 

[Bletchleyite]

In what way is 'today's Northern' any better?

It's had a lot of investment, eg classes 195 and 331, and more to come.

 

[TUC]

It's had a lot of investment, eg classes 195 and 331, and more to come.

I mean in terms of service reliability. Little seems to have improved since Alex Hynes' days. Getting new trains is the easy part.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I mean in terms of service reliability. Little seems to have improved since Alex Hynes' days. Getting new trains is the easy part.

I know. My point was that Hynes' Northern achieved a lot with very limited resources when the present Northern isn't doing vastly better with far more investment.

 

[TUC]

I know. My point was that Hynes' Northern achieved a lot with very limited resources when the present Northern isn't doing vastly better with far more investment.

Fair point.

 

[Djgr]

What's he ever done? To the vast majority of the British people, "railway mentality" is hardly a ringing endorsement.

In the land of rotten apples, the one without maggots is king

 

[43096]

The trouble is that there is no-one left now who has genuine experience of proper integration, which is what is required and what was abandoned with privatisation. The good leaders from the pre-privatisation era either left in disgust or soldiered on for a while, but, either way, the knowledge and ethos was not passed on because it was not required under the new model. Everyone today (through no fault of their own) is lacking this experience, by default.

It's hardly surprising that those who were the pre-privatisation leaders are no longer on the railway - it's pretty much 30 years since privatisation started so they'll have retired by now.

 

[Bald Rick]

The trouble is that there is no-one left now who has genuine experience of proper integration, which is what is required and what was abandoned with privatisation. The good leaders from the pre-privatisation era either left in disgust or soldiered on for a while, but, either way, the knowledge and ethos was not passed on because it was not required under the new model. Everyone today (through no fault of their own) is lacking this experience, by default.

The current chair of DfTO started with BR in the 1970s…

Plenty of people still around who were in management pre 1994. And they can all remember how bad some of it was back then. As well as the good stuff obviously.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Best kept secret since the date of D-Day! There really only ever was one obvious candidate IMHO, once he was seconded to DfT (and did brilliantly!)

 

[JB75029]

What’s he done brilliantly?

Best kept secret since the date of D-Day! There really only ever was one obvious candidate IMHO, once he was seconded to DfT (and did brilliantly!)

 

[185]

There's not a lot of people at the top of our industry who I've any time for, but in fairness to Alex, by chance we discovered something seriously rotten with an operator DFTO had recently taken over, and rather that try cover it up, Alex went head first at the directors responsible and launched an investigation, led by his staff in Waterloo, crucially not the TUPEd bosses of the operator.

- In privately run, corporate businesses, he's probably not the man for the job.
- In a state run operator, covered by public service obligation - at risk of much greater public scrutiny, he's certainly the right chap for the job.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

The trouble is that there is no-one left now who has genuine experience of proper integration, which is what is required and what was abandoned with privatisation. The good leaders from the pre-privatisation era either left in disgust or soldiered on for a while, but, either way, the knowledge and ethos was not passed on because it was not required under the new model. Everyone today (through no fault of their own) is lacking this experience, by default.

Don't underestimate the number of ex-BR senior managers / directors who continue to provide support and advice 'behind the scenes' in their retirement.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Don't underestimate the number of ex-BR senior managers / directors who continue to provide support and advice 'behind the scenes' in their retirement.

Good to hear as that the only chance the industry has of getting itself back to integrated operation. Hopefully we will see a blend of that advice melded with some of the better franchise operators to get the best of both worlds in GBR.