25.11.19
Nexus appoints new Chief Operating Officer
Martin Kearney has been appointed as the new chief operating officer for Nexus, the public body which owns the Tyne and Wear Metro, and wider public transport across the North East.
Kearney has over 30 years of public transport experience and currently runs transport services in Sydney and Auckland. However, he will soon make the move to the North East to manage the day-to-day running of Nexus transport and head up its senior management team.
New responsibilities, which will begin on Jan 20, will include the Tyne and Wear Metro, that transports 36 million passengers a year and the iconic cross-Tyne Shields Ferry service.
Martin Kearney said:
“Nexus will be at the heart of North East England’s ambitions to transform local transport in the years ahead, as we introduce a £362 million new Metro train fleet and rise to the exciting challenge to modernise and re-invigorate public transport across the North East.”
“I am excited to be relocating back to the North of England and I can’t wait to join the team of 1,200 staff at Nexus who are proud to be delivering the best possible local services to customers. I am looking forward to working with local authority and industry partners to help drive economic growth in a sustainable way – using great public transport to support jobs and opportunity across our communities.”
Originally from Leeds, Martin started his career at British Rail and went on to work in rail across the North of England.
In 2012 he went to New Zealand to manage a major project introducing a new fleet of trains and transforming the rail network in Auckland.
Overall Nexus responsibility will still lie with Director General, Tobyn Hughes, who’s enhanced is now Managing Director Transport North East.
He said:
“I am delighted to welcome Martin to the Nexus team as we prepare to deliver ambitious investment plans for Metro and the wider public transport network.”