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New engineering director for C2C


Chartered mechanical engineer Ben Ackroyd, 30, has joined C2C as engineering


director. Ackroyd, who has a masters


degree in railway systems engineering and integration, joins the company from Angel Trains, where he was responsible for leasing and maintenance contracts and overseeing the delivery of rolling stock to rail franchise groups.


He replaces Steve Rees, who


is retiring after a 34-year career in the rail industry. Julian Drury, managing director


of C2C, said: ‘We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the C2C team.’ He added: ‘I’d also like to say a very personal thank you to Steve Rees.’


Price to succeed Emery at Office of Rail Regulation n


The new chief executive at the Office of Rail Regulation has


been named as Richard Price (right), who will succeed Bill Emery when he retires in June.


Price, 44, has held several senior


civil service posts, including chief economist at both the Home Office and Defra. He also led the enterprise team in HM Treasury for four years. He has also worked as a


consultant for NERA Economic Consulting, where he advised businesses and governments on the economic regulation of large infrastructure projects and utilities. He has an MSc in economics. Welcoming the appointment on


behalf of the ORR Board, chair Anna Walker said: ‘I am delighted that


IRSE names first female president


a great honour to be asked to become president of the IRSE. I’m particularly pleased to be the first female president in this role, after 99 years.


‘Our plans for the forthcoming year are now taking shape and we have a very good technical programme planned.’ Porter almost ended up in building services, rather than signalling, as she applied to building services engineering companies to sponsor her electrical engineering degree at Southampton University. She only approached British Rail as a back-up, she admits. ‘When I arrived for the


n


Claire Porter, head of strategy at Thales UK’s transportation systems business, is to be the next president of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers – the first woman to take the post since the institution was founded 99 years ago. Porter, 45, who joined the IRSE 25 years ago, said: ‘It is


interview, the enthusiasm of my interviewer was infectious,’ she recalls. ‘I was swayed by his arguments and joined British Rail as part of the 1-3-1 sponsorship scheme.’


She worked for British Rail and Alstom before joining Thales UK in 1999.


The IRSE is the professional body for the railway signalling and telecommunications sectors.


MAY 2011 PAGE 37


Richard is joining us to lead ORR during a period of change for the whole rail sector. In doing so, he will be able to draw on a unique mix of relevant experience.


‘As well as his expertise as a top


government economist, Richard has a deep understanding of regulation from a private sector commercial viewpoint, knows how markets work and has hands-on experience of leading complex change.’ He will join ORR in May and


shadow Emery for a month, before taking over in June.


Meanwhile, non-executive


directors Chris Elliott and Richard Goldson stepped down from the ORR board when their terms ended in March.


Retirement honoured with train naming n


When retired technician Robert Barnes, 68, was asked


to return to the National Express East Anglia depot at Ilford, on Monday 4 April, it was on the pretext the fleet manager would be treating him to steak and chips. The meal did go ahead but not


before ‘Bob’, who was also a union representative for many years, was rendered speechless when Class 321/3 No 321 342 came into the depot with his name on it.


After the unorthodox train


naming he said: ‘I’m lost for words. I enjoy talking but don’t know what to say.’ Jason Carey, National Express


fleet manager south, spoke about Barnes’ career, explaining that he had left briefly to work for Ford. He began his career at 15


as a coachbuilder apprentice at Stratford Works. Barnes’ last union post was with Unite, but he originally joined the AEU.


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