Martin Tugwell will succeed Barry White in becoming the next Chief Executive of TfN from summer 2021, with Tim Wood acting as Interim Chief Executive in the meantime.
Following agreement from the TfN Board, Martin is set to lead the region’s statutory transport body, which speaks with one voice on behalf of the North’s civic and business leaders on transport investment. He’ll succeed Barry White, who is due to step down in April 2021.
Martin has over 20 years’ experience in transport and investment senior leadership roles in the public sector and will join TfN from England’s Economic Heartland, the sub-national transport body for the region including Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. He’s also the current President of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).
TfN has recently adopted a bold Business Plan for 2021/22, which will see the organisation focus on advancing the business case for Northern Powerhouse rail and agreeing future governance arrangements; analysing the wide-ranging benefits of transport investment; and making the North’s networks more sustainable through new decarbonisation and freight strategies.
Commenting on the decision, Martin Tugwell said: “It’s an honour to take up leadership of Transport for the North at this critical moment for the levelling-up agenda. I’ve always been a passionate advocate for the ability of better transport connections to change lives and create more opportunities.
That belief is the central mission of Transport for the North, one that’s more important today than ever. I can’t wait to work with the North’s ambitious leaders to drive real change in the region, making transport more accessible, inclusive and sustainable for future generations.”
It has also been agreed that TfN’s current Northern Powerhouse Rail Director, Tim Wood, will become Interim Chief Executive until Martin officially joins the pan-Northern organisation in summer 2021.
Tim Wood, Northern Powerhouse Rail Director at TfN briefly added and said: “I’m delighted to lead Transport for the North and ensure a smooth transition for our dedicated team. There’s some significant decisions on future investment expected in the coming months, and we stand ready to work with government on the next steps for key projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
We this year spoke to him earlier this year on and hope to do the same with Martin Turgell later this year once he assumes his position with TfN.
In mean time do not hesitate to read our latest article with TfN below. In conversation with Tim Wood – the budget, post-Covid rail, a new infrastructure bank
www.railtechnologymagazine.com/articles/conversation-tim-wood-budget-post-covid-rail-new-infrastructure-bank
