Northern’s Head of New Trains to oversee rolling stock modernisation

Ian Hyde, Head of New Trains, Northern

The arrival of Northern’s Head of New Trains will set in motion the operator’s multi-million pound programme of modernisation, delivering 281 new carriages due to enter service from 2018 onwards.

Ian Hyde, Head of New Trains, Northern

Ian Hyde joined Northern on 21 November 2016 as its Head of New Trains. Mr Hyde will take immediate responsibility for overseeing the construction and roll-out of 281 new carriages due to arrive on the Northern network from late 2018 onwards.

Commenting on his new role Ian Hyde said: “My main goal is to further improve the overall quality of the product we are offering our customers. We know the older trains, the Pacers, whilst holding a degree of nostalgia for some, have outlived their welcome and need to be replaced as soon as practicable.

“That is exactly what I aim to do and, ultimately, I want to be able to put the new trains in service on time, attracting more customers to Northern from other modes of transport.”

Mr Hyde began his career as an assistant engineer for British Railway back in the early 1990s, and working exclusively in the rail industry, latterly working as Professional Head of Engineering for Cross Country, gained first-hand knowledge of what it takes to put a new train together and get it on the tracks ready for service.

Furthermore, his 25 years in fleet management, train design, operation and maintenance and his track record of delivering new trains projects across Europe, India, China and Japan, make him ideally suited for heading the ambitious modernisation programme, stated Northern.

Commenting on Ian Hyde’s appointment, Alex Hynes, Managing Director at Northern, said: “Ian has successfully managed rolling stock projects through their engineering design, construction, test and commissioning, on time and within budget.  His skill at building relationships with stakeholders in a challenging environment has delivered project benefits across international clients, cultures and teams and we are really pleased to secure his services from our sister operating company Cross Country.”

Northern’s modernisation programme to introduce 280 new trains

Announced by Arriva Rail North as part of the new franchise, Northern’s modernisation programme will see more than 280 new trains introduced across the network as well as the complete refurbishment of all other Northern carriages.

“Putting new trains on the rail network is not a quick process and we want to make sure that the new services we provide are exactly what our customers have been calling for – clean, modern, spacious and fit for the 21st Century. It is my role now to ensure we deliver this improved environment for rail travellers and that we do so on time,” added Mr Hynes.