Sir John Kingman has been appointed the first chair of Great British Railways (GBR), taking up the role immediately as the Government advances plans to bring Britain’s railways into public ownership.
Kingman will help shape GBR, oversee the closer integration of train and track operations and support industry preparations for the transition while the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament.
Leadership for rail reform
The Government said Kingman’s experience leading customer-focused businesses and public institutions would be important as GBR is established. He has chaired Barclays UK, Legal & General Group and Tesco Personal Finance.
He was previously second permanent secretary at HM Treasury, where he was involved in the Government’s response to the financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Northern Rock. He also took part in negotiations on Greater Manchester’s devolution deal and later became the first chair of UK Research and Innovation, overseeing £8bn in annual science funding.
Once formally established, GBR is expected to become the third-largest public sector organisation in Britain, according to the Government.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Sir John Kingman’s appointment marks a defining moment in our mission to put passengers first and rebuild Britain’s railways.
“His exceptional record across government and industry makes him precisely the leader we need to steer Great British Railways through this landmark transformation.
“I look forward to working with him as we deliver a more reliable railway that this country can be proud of.”
Kingman said: “The opportunity to lead Great British Railways is one I could not let pass. It is a privilege to be involved in rail’s next chapter making sure that public ownership of the railways delivers change that people can see.
“I want to help to build a simpler, more unified railway that puts the interests of the passengers and customers first, supports growth and creates opportunity across the country.”
Integration and public ownership
The appointment follows the announcement of a planned GBR headquarters at Becketwell in Derby. The Government said the site would bring hundreds of rail jobs to the city and provide an estimated £151m boost to the regional economy.
Network Rail chair Richard George said work was already under way to bring track and train operations closer together. He welcomed Kingman’s arrival and said he looked forward to working with him to develop GBR.
Sir Andrew Haines, chair of DFTO, said Kingman’s experience in government and business would support the creation of a more integrated, customer-focused railway.
Railway Industry Association chief executive Darren Caplan also congratulated Kingman, while stressing that the rail supply sector should have a central role in GBR. The association said suppliers deliver about two-thirds of UK rail investment and support jobs and economic growth across the country.
The Government said passengers were already benefiting from the transfer of operators into public ownership. It said publicly owned operators were performing better on average than those remaining in private ownership, fares had been frozen in 2026 for the first time in 30 years, and public operators had added 76,000 seats a week across the network.