New appointments to rail regulator’s Board

The Office of Rail Regulation today announced the appointment of three new non-executive directors to its Board in a move that strengthens its rail, commercial and regulatory expertise.

The three new non-executives are:

• Mark Fairbairn – formerly Board Director, National Grid plc
• Stephen Nelson – formerly Chief Executive Officer, British Airports Authority
• Ray O’Toole – formerly Chief Operating Officer, National Express Group plc

Welcoming the appointments, Anna Walker, Chair of the ORR Board said:

“I am delighted that we have made three appointments that considerably strengthen the ORR Board. All three new non-executives bring considerable experience and expertise that complements those of existing members as we deal with a wide range of important issues in our role as combined economic and safety regulator of Britain’s railways.

“Mark Fairbairn has experience of running national gas and electricity networks in the UK and USA, where he had input into the price control process as well as leading on safety issues. Stephen Nelson has been CEO of a large regulated company in the transport sector as well as holding Board-level positions in large commercial companies. Ray O’Toole was Chief Operating Officer at a large transport group where he oversaw the running of commercial train franchise operations and developed a deep understanding of what train operators require from the rail infrastructure.”

All three appointments have been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport and will run from 5 September 2011 to 4 September 2015.