New Great British Railways chair appointed to drive forward major rail reform

The Transport Secretary has today appointed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) chief executive Laura Shoaf as chair of Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR).

In the role, Laura will help drive the government’s overhaul of the railways, bringing senior leaders together to deliver improvements for passengers and work towards a more unified rail system.

SGBR will also help design Great British Railways – a permanent body that will oversee railway infrastructure and services.

Before leading the WMCA, Laura was managing director of Transport for West Midlands (TFWM) where she oversaw a multi-million pound transport investment package for the region. She was the first female chair of the Urban Transport Group, which comprises transport leaders from across the UK, and supported the industry on its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) represents the rail interests of the WMCA - which is its largest member.

A recognised expert who has advised on national policy, Laura was also one of the UK’s first ‘transport champions for tackling violence against women and girls’. Her experience will be key in making the rail network more accessible and safer for all passengers.

Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said: "For too long, passengers have suffered from a fragmented rail system that doesn’t work in their interests – we’re going to change that.

"Establishing Shadow Great British Railways is a significant step towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its heart by bringing together track and train – and it’s fantastic we have someone of Laura’s calibre to drive forward reforms.

"Laura brings immense hands-on experience of delivering change and a shared desire to move fast and deliver change – I’m looking forward to working with her to fix our railways and getting Britain moving again."

SGBR chair, Laura Shoaf, said: "The arrival of the railways fundamentally changed the United Kingdom – creating huge growth, new connections between communities and opening up the opportunity of jobs and adventure to people across the whole of the country. 

"I recognise the great power that our transport network plays in our day to day lives, but in order for it to work and in order for it to keep opening up these opportunities, it has to be built around our passengers and freight users.

"It is my privilege to have been asked to chair Shadow Great British Railways and my focus will be ensuring people are at the heart of the railways and to ensure this remains a focus for years to come."

The government’s rail reforms will see an end to wasteful fragmentation on our railways, unifying the oversight of track and train under Great British Railways.

Ahead of legislation being passed, SGBR will lay the groundwork for this new system, ensuring no time is wasted in delivering better for passengers and freight.

SGBR brings together the leaders of Network Rail, DfT’s Operator of Last Resort and DfT’s Rail Services Group, laying the tracks for a properly integrated, customer-focused national rail network.

It will also work closely with industry partners to deliver better services for passengers and tackle the financial challenges facing our railways.

As chair, Laura will be tasked with ensuring SGBR’s leadership drives forward plans for improvement and challenging industry to deliver, while ensuring the interests of passengers, freight users and taxpayers remain at the forefront of everything SGBR does.