Alex Hynes has been appointed as the new chief executive of Department for Transport Operator Limited (DFTO) to lead the next phase in the transition to Great British Railways.
With significant experience in both the rail industry and Department for Transport, his appointment will support the Government’s mission to bring together track and train – delivering a better service for passengers.
Before joining the civil service, Alex held senior positions at both ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland between 2017 and 2024. This followed his extensive career as managing director of Northern before the operator transferred into public ownership in 2020, delivering their best ever customer satisfaction scores and record levels of employee engagement.
The handover will take place on 23 December as current CEO Robin Gisby’s fixed term contract comes to an end.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “This Government is making strides in our ambitious rail reforms and establishing Great British Railways, delivering a network which is run for the public, owned by the public.
“Alex Hynes’s appointment will build on the achievements so far of smoothly bringing operators into public ownership and I’m confident that will continue going forward.
“I’d like to thank Robin Gisby for his work in effectively leading DFTO through challenging periods, all the way from the pandemic to the beginning of the transition to Great British Railways. Robin had a major impact on the rail industry and he leaves an enduring legacy recognised by colleagues and passengers.”
Alex Hynes said: “It’s a privilege to be joining DFTO at such a pivotal moment. I look forward to working with so many talented colleagues from across the publicly owned train operating companies, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the wider rail industry.
“Building on DFTO’s strong foundations and Robin’s achievements, my focus will be on delivering safe, reliable and efficient services for passengers, and helping to drive rail reform.”
DFTO is the Government body which is bringing all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership ahead of the creation of Great British Railways. To date, half of rail operators are in public ownership following Greater Anglia’s service transfer in October. To ensure DFTO has the necessary resources as it takes on more services, over 200 civil servants from DfT rail teams will transfer into DFTO by 1 April 2026.
Image credit: Network Rail