New managing director joins TransPennine Express

The new managing director of TransPennine Express (TPE), Matthew Golton, starts his role today.

It follows the departure of interim managing director, Liz Collins to take up a part-time position with West Coast Partnership.

With more than three decades of experience in rail, Golton joins the train company from his position as business development director for First Rail, where he led the team working with the Department for Transport and Rail North Partnership on the new National Rail Contract (NRC) for TPE.

Before that, he worked as interim managing director and commercial development director for Great Western Railway (GWR) having been with FirstGroup since 2006.

Together with his team, he will lead the delivery of TPE’s new contract.

It is intended to provide customers with high levels of performance, investment in stations, measures to improve the sustainability of services, further steps to enhance the accessibility of the railway and more investment.

Golton said: “I am delighted to be joining TransPennine Express at such a pivotal time as more and more people begin to return to the railway and use the train to connect with friends and family again.

“I went to university in Hull and have spent part of my career working in Yorkshire so am very happy to be returning to the North.

“I’m looking forward to meeting customers as restrictions continue to ease and making further improvements as we deliver our new National Rail Contract which will provide an opportunity to put our train services at the heart of post-pandemic recovery, connecting people, places and local economies.”