DFTO board appointments add Laura Shoaf and Tony Poulter

DFTO board appointments have officially added Laura Shoaf and Tony Poulter to the DFTO board. They have joined the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) board as non-executive directors. Great British Railways (GBR) is being established. Also, the transition from Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR), currently under Laura Shoaf, continues.

DFTO board appointments and the move to GBR

Before this, several rail leaders had been working under Shoaf. Alex Hynes is chief executive of DFTO. Richard Goodman is director general for rail reform and strategy at the Department for Transport. Jeremy Westlake is chief executive of Network Rail. They had been establishing ways of working. Also, they had been preparing a blueprint for how GBR will operate in the future. Meanwhile, that framework is already being followed. At the same time, integrated leadership is in place. It is meant to bring together workings in the South East and East Anglia.

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Shoaf has a new DFTO board role. In it, she will continue seeking to ensure attention is paid to passengers and staff. That applies to how the railway is run now and in the future. Separately, Tony Poulter is a member of the Department for Transport board. He has previously provided specialist support and strategic advice on rail reform. In addition, he served as a partner at PwC.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:

The leaders working at SGBR have set the standard for the future of British railways. Under their direction, teams are now working together to end years of fragmentation and inefficiency and develop creative and innovative ways of improving the rail network.

Both Laura and Tony will bring expert knowledge and experience to the DFTO board as we get ready for GBR. I look forward to working with them to deliver the reliable, affordable and modern railway passengers deserve.

Shadow Great British Railways changes already in place

Meanwhile, SGBR has implemented a number of changes within the railway network. For example, this includes ticket acceptance across all publicly owned operators. It applies in the event of disruption. In addition, it includes a pilot in Yorkshire and the East Midlands. That pilot covers digital ticketing trials.

Sir Andrew Haines, chair of DFTO, said:

Laura and Tony have very significant experience over a wide range of complementary sectors and will play a vital role in supporting DFTO’s mission to deliver for customers and help build Great British Railways.

I look forward to working with them both as we continue the transfer programme, implement rail reform and improve performance across the network – work that will benefit passengers and represent better value for taxpayers.

Publicly owned train operators and the next transition

Meanwhile, there are currently eight train operators now owned by the public.

• LNER
• Northern
• Southeastern
• TransPennine Express
• South Western Railway
• c2c
• Greater Anglia
• WM Trains

In addition, Govia Thameslink Railway is set to make the transition on 31 May 2026.

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