We are pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Cooklin as our new Chair as East West Rail moves into its next phase of delivery.
Our project to build a new railway between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge is in the final stages of design with a planning consent application due to be submitted to Government next year. If approved, the scheme will start building and opening its first new stations within the next five years.
Susan takes the role as we open our market engagement for service providers to bid for tenders which will see the scheme move into the delivery of the proposed 100 miles of connected track and seven brand new and fully accessible stations, with connections made to 10 additional existing stations.
With more than three decades of leadership experience spanning rail, technology, operations and business transformation, Susan is widely recognised as one of the UK's most influential technology and infrastructure leaders, having held senior executive roles at Network Rail and across the financial services sector. She previously served as Managing Director of Network Rail's Route Services business, leading thousands of employees and overseeing a national portfolio of operational, engineering, technology and supply chain services that support the railway across Great Britain.
During her career, Susan has led major organisational transformation programmes and held non-executive board positions in the utilities, education and technology sectors. She has also been recognised nationally for her contribution to technology leadership and for championing women in STEM and the rail industry.
Susan Cooklin said: "I am delighted to join East West Rail as Chair at such an important moment for the project. East West Rail is one of the most exciting infrastructure programmes in the UK, and delivering it is essential to future economic growth across the region, unlocking new homes and better access to jobs along the route.”
Chief Executive Officer David Hughes said: "I am delighted to welcome Susan to East West Rail. She brings a wealth of experience in leading large, complex organisations, delivering major transformation programmes and putting customers at the heart of decision-making.”
Susan replaces Neil Sachdev who is standing down after his term of office has come to a close.