Director General Rail Strategy and Services Group

Conrad Bailey

Biography

Conrad Bailey is the Director General, Rail Strategy and Services Group at the Department for Transport (DfT).

In 2020 he led the department’s response to COVID-19. Before that, he was the Director of Rail Strategy, Reform and Analysis and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Williams Rail Review.

Before joining DfT in 2018 he was the Director for the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and Defence Director in the National Security Secretariat.

Earlier in his career, he was the head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) conflict department and worked in the Ministry of Defence in a range of operational, business-facing and private office roles, including Director of Industrial Policy.

Conrad is also the co-champion of DfT’s Fair Treatment Ambassadors and Neurodiversity Network.

Conrad has an Executive Masters in Public Policy and a B.Sc.(Econ.) in history from LSE.

Director General Rail Strategy and Services Group

As Director General for Rail Strategy and Services Group, Conrad will contribute to the collective leadership of the Department for Transport as Board and Executive Committee members and leaders of the Rail Group.

He has overall responsibility for:

  • developing strategy and policy for the rail sector in the context of broader government policy
  • managing the department’s overall expenditure on rail services and infrastructure
  • ensuring delivery of major projects and programmes including the:
    • £5.7 billion Intercity Express Programme
    • £7 billion Thameslink programme
    • £14.8 billion Crossrail programme (jointly with Transport for London)
  • delivering the ongoing programme of rail franchises
  • effective sponsorship of:
    • British Transport Police
    • Network Rail
    • Office of Rail and Road
    • Rail Accidents Investigation Branch
    • Transport Focus

Department for Transport