06.12.18
Ex-Atkins chair made HS2 boss as Sir Terry Morgan resigns from two roles
Sir Terry Morgan has resigned as chairman of both HS2 and Crossrail, days after he revealed that he expected to be sacked this week.
The government has announced that former Atkins chair Allan Cook will replace Morgan as the new chair of HS2. The successor for Crossrail will be announced in due course.
Morgan’s resignation comes in the wake of controversial delays and spiralling costs relating to the Elizabeth Line project, which has even led to a dispute with the mayor of London.
Sir Terry has been the chairman of Crossrail since 2009, but only joined HS2 four months ago.
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.”
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Morgan said he believed he would be sacked as chair of HS2 in the coming days because of “a sense of disappointment around the performance of Crossrail,” and because HS2 is such a critically important programme, it would be considered too risky for him to continue in his role.
The DfT said Crossrail and TfL said it will appoint a new chair for the company as the project moves from construction to operation.
The incoming HS2 chair, Allan Cook, has over 40 years’ experience in infrastructure, automotive, aerospace, and defence. Grayling commented: “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.”
Cook 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.”
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