Sir John Kingman appointed as Great British Railways Chair
Appointment marks a defining moment in government's mission to put passengers first and rebuild Britain’s railways.
- Sir John Kingman has today (16 October 2026) been confirmed as the first Chair of Great British Railways
- Sir John will chair the organisation, bringing a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to public service
- appointment marks next stage in journey to bring railways back under public control
The government has appointed Sir John Kingman as the first Chair of Great British Railways (GBR), marking another important step towards bringing the railways back under public control.
Sir John will begin his duties as Chair immediately and will play a critical role in shaping the design of the new organisation, continuing the integration of train and track operations and driving industry readiness for transition, as the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament.
Once GBR is formally established, Sir John will lead the third biggest public sector organisation in Britain. As Chair, he will work closely with the rail industry and devolved transport bodies with a relentless focus on improving passenger experience and improving services.
Sir John brings a wealth of experience forged in distinguished careers in both government and the private sector. His experience in leadership of national, customer-focused businesses, such as the Chair of Barclays UK PLC, and as the former Chair of Legal and General Group PLC and Tesco Personal Finance, will be invaluable to improving the experience of passengers and management of the network as GBR is established.
Sir John has also served as Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury, where he played a central role in the UK government’s response to the financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Northern Rock and negotiated on Greater Manchester’s flagship devolution deal. He later became the first Chair of UK Research and Innovation, where he oversaw £8 billion in annual science funding.
Secretary of State for Transport 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.
The appointment marks a significant milestone in the government’s plan to establish GBR, creating a publicly owned railway that means services are run in the interests of passengers and customers, not private shareholders.
This is the latest building block in the journey towards GBR, after the headquarters site for the organisation at Becketwell, Derby was revealed this week. The site will bring hundreds of rail jobs to the city and an estimated £151 million boost to the region’s economy, supporting the government’s mission to drive growth in every postcode.
Sir John Kingman, Chair of Great British Railways 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.
As the government presses ahead with rail reform, passengers are already seeing benefits of bringing operators’ services into public ownership ahead of the creation of GBR.
On average, publicly owned operators perform better than those still in private hands, fares have been frozen this year for the first time in 30 years and 76,000 extra seats a week have been introduced on public operator services across the network to create more affordable and comfortable journeys up and down the country.
Richard George, Chair of Network Rail, said:
I’m delighted to welcome John to the railway at such a pivotal point in our transformation. There is already a huge amount of work underway to bring track and train closer together and create a railway that works better for passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. I look forward to working closely with John as we build on that progress and turn the ambition for Great British Railways into reality.
Sir Andrew Haines, Chair of DFTO, said:
I am delighted to welcome John to the railway. His extensive experience, from senior leadership roles in government to chairing some of the UK’s most significant institutions and businesses, will be invaluable as we continue the transformation necessary to establish Great British Railways. John’s expertise and leadership will help us build a more integrated, customer-focused railway that delivers better outcomes for all, and I very much look forward to working with him.
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