Network Rail’s Wessex route has announced its new director with Mark Goodall set to take over the role. The Wessex route, which is part of Network Rail’s Southern region is one of the busiest networks in the country and includes all the services out of London’s Waterloo train station, one of the busiest on the national network.
Goodall is currently the service delivery director at CrossCountry, and will join Network Rail in February. He has experience across the rail sector, working in freight, station management and operational management at both director and area level.
Mark said: “I’m thrilled to have been appointed as the Wessex route director to oversee this vital part of the railway network for both passengers and freight. Now feels like the right time to return to Network Rail having spent the last decade working for train operators with a focus on the successful delivery of operational services. This wider industry background should prove valuable in shaping future plans for the route with the drive to deliver reliable services and the best for customers.
“I’m looking forward to close collaboration with our train operators, freight customers and the thousands of colleagues working so diligently across the Wessex network. My key focus will be to build on the good work already in place, focus on great journeys every day and help make the Wessex route a positive and inclusive place to work.”
In his current role, Goodall is responsible for a wide rage of teams at Cross Country, including performance, control, fleet and engineering. Before this, Goodall had worked for several train operators including West Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways and had also spent 12 years at Network Rail.
The Wessex route has 1,600 trains running on the line every weekday and also involves metro services across South West London as well as serving as a key freight route from Southampton.
Ellie Burrows, regional managing director for Network Rail’s Southern region, said: “I’m delighted to name Mark Goodall as the new route director for Wessex. His extensive rail industry experience including time at Network Rail and a number of train operators will be invaluable in delivering improvements to safety, train service performance and efficiency and helping to make the Southern region a great place to live, work and travel.
“The Wessex route is one of the most critical in the UK and I know Mark is the right person to lead the team as we head towards the start of our new control period in April 2024. Mark’s clear focus and determination will ensure our passengers and freight customers experience safe and reliable services and we continue to put passengers at the heart of everything we do.”
The news of Goodall’s appointment comes after the resignation of Wales and Western region’s managing director Michelle Handforth, who left after several incidents and infrastructure problems in the region. The Office of Rail and Road launched an investigation into the underperforming region last month.
Photo Credit: Network Rail/iStock
