Crossrail and HS2 Chairman, Terry Morgan, steps down

Terry Morgan

The Transport Secretary and Mayor of London have accepted the resignation of Sir Terry Morgan as both Chairman of Crossrail Ltd and as Chairman of HS2 Ltd.

Sir Terry, who recently joined HS2 Ltd, was Chairman of Crossrail Ltd for almost a decade, guiding the project through construction towards completion. Allan Cook CBE has been appointed as the new Chair.

A successor for Sir Terry on Crossrail Ltd will be announced in due course.

Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said: “Sir Terry has been an integral part of Crossrail for almost a decade and I would like to thank him for his dedication and the expertise he brought to the role. I am also grateful to him for his work as Chair of HS2 Ltd.

“HS2 is the country’s biggest infrastructure project and, with his wealth of experience, Allan Cook CBE is the right person to oversee the project as it progresses towards full construction.”

Allan Cook CBE DSc is a chartered engineer with more than 40 years’ international experience in the infrastructure, automotive, aerospace and defence industries. His experience includes serving as co-Chair of the Defence Growth Partnership, Chair of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, as a director of JF Lehman and Company, and as a former lead non-executive director for the then-Department of Business, Innovation and Skills under the coalition government. Among his other senior posts, he was also chair of WS Atkins Plc, Leonardo UK, and Deputy Chair of Marshalls Group. He served as the CEO of Cobham Plc from 2000 to 2009.

Allan Cook CBE said: “It is a privilege to be asked to take on this crucial role on UK’s biggest infrastructure project. HS2 will transform Britain through the creation of jobs and skills across UK industry. It will improve connectivity and passenger experience as well as creating value for the UK economy.

“HS2 has made impressive progress in the past 18 months – with 7,000 highly skilled people currently working on this project. The regeneration of the West Midlands and Curzon Street in Birmingham are now well underway.

“I’m looking forward to working with Mark Thurston, his team and our partners, getting ready for the next few years when we will be making significant progress on building HS2 for the future.”

HS2 Ltd continues to work with its supply chain partners ahead of main construction work on Phase 1, and is working to deliver services from London to Birmingham from 2026 in line with the target delivery date.

Crossrail Ltd and TfL will appoint a new chair for the company as the project moves from construction to testing.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “I and the Railway Industry Association would like to thank Sir Terry for his hard work and commitment to improving the UK’s railway network both as Chair of Crossrail and HS2 Ltd.

“Sir Terry has always been an avid supporter of the rail supply community and has worked hard to ensure we have a rail system ready to meet the challenges of the future. He is also an enthusiastic promoter of rail as a career choice for young people, and spent much of his time helping to get a new, young and diverse workforce into the industry. We wish him all the best for the future”.

Director of Midlands Connect, Maria Machancoses, said: “HS2 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revolutionise our transport network and rebalance the UK economy. Birmingham and the West Midlands have already enjoyed significant benefits from HS2: Accelerated economic development, more people and businesses locating here and a swathe of other inward investment.

“HS2 is a very long-term project, so it will inevitably change in leadership and personnel over the next 15 years. The most important thing is that we complete HS2 on time and in its entirety, spreading its benefits across the Midlands and the North. We mustn’t allow short-term changes to distract from the long-term goals of improving capacity, connectivity and the customer experience on our railways, as well as fostering skills and economic growth.

“As civic and industry leaders, we all have a responsibility to work together to provide ongoing, vocal support for this game-changing infrastructure project.”