22.05.14
HS2 poaches Network Rail’s Jim Crawford
HS2 Ltd has lured yet another senior Network Rail official over to the multi-billion high speed rail project - with Jim Crawford joining as the programme director for Phase One.
During his time at Network Rail, Crawford took over the delivery of the £6.5bn Thameslink upgrade in 2009 delivering some notable milestones, including the rebuilding of London Blackfriars and Farringdon stations.
At HS2 he will be completing the set-up of the team that will be responsible for the delivery of the multi-billion pound construction programme for the first phase of the new high speed rail network between London and West Midlands.
Simon Kirby, the former managing director of infrastructure projects at Network Rail, who started his job as HS2 Ltd Construction CEO this week, said: “I am very pleased that someone of Jim’s calibre is joining us as we have much to do between now and when we expect to have spades in the ground in 2017.
“Building Britain’s much-needed high speed rail network will be a major undertaking and we need the best people to help deliver it on schedule and within the budget we have been set. Jim’s experience speaks for itself but I know just how capable he is from our time together at Network Rail working on the multi-billion pound investment in Thameslink.”
The exodus of senior Network Rail bosses started after chief executive Sir David Higgins stood down to lead the HS2 project at the start of this year, Kirby soon followed as does Crawford.
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