Rail Delivery Group appoints David Brown as Chair

David Brown, Managing Director UK Trains at Arriva, has been appointed as Chair of Rail Delivery Group (RDG). David has served on RDG’s board as a member since 2020 and has extensive experience in the railway sector.

The RDG Board comprised of members who are drawn from the train operators’ owning groups and Network Rail.

As Chair, David will be responsible for the leadership and effectiveness of the board and providing strategic direction for the organisation. He succeeds Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of First Rail, whose tenure as Chair has come to an end but remains a member of RDG’s board.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of RDG, said: “I speak for the entire rail industry when I say how grateful I am to Steve for his leadership through the unique challenges the sector faced during the pandemic. His commitment and leadership through several challenging years, not least the pandemic and the changing travel patterns of customers and the industrial relations landscape, are testament to his spirit and love for the industry.

“With David’s appointment, the sector has another passionate champion, someone who recognises the enduring value and importance of rail in the 21^st century and supports the work we are doing to deliver a better railway for our customers. Since joining the RDG board, David has been a supportive but challenging voice and I have been particularly inspired by his personal support for our campaign to tackle sexual harassment on our railways.

“I look forward to working with him as we focus on the task in-hand of creating a railway that meets the needs of our customers.”

David Brown, Chair of RDG, said: “I am really pleased to have this opportunity to help provide leadership for the rail industry at such a crucial time. After unprecedented challenges in recent years, the railways can have a very bright future through meeting the needs of customers and the communities we serve. While long-term reform remains important, we must continue to attract customers to rail now, and to do that the industry needs to work collaboratively, with a relentless focus on delivering improvements and enhancing performance. I hope to use my role to enable this and support the work of colleagues across the industry who are working tirelessly to deliver a better railway and provide the services our customers want and taxpayers expect.”