The new managing director of a rail operator with services in Cumbria has started his new role.
Matthew Golton has replaced Liz Collins as the managing director of TransPennine Express (TPE). Liz is to take up a part-time position with West Coast Partnership.
With more than three decades of experience in rail, Matthew joins the train company from his position as business development director for First Rail, where he led the team working with the Department for Transport and Rail North Partnership on the new National Rail Contract (NRC) for TPE.
Before that, Matthew worked as interim managing director and commercial development director for Great Western Railway (GWR) having been with FirstGroup since 2006.
Together with his new team, Matthew will lead the delivery of TPE’s new contract which will work to provide customers with high levels of performance, investment in stations, measures to improve the sustainability of services and further steps to enhance the accessibility of the railway.
TPE runs services from Liverpool and Manchester to Glasgow and Edinburgh via Carlisle, Oxenholme and Penrith.
Customers across the north and into Scotland will continue to see the transformation of rail services through the final delivery of the Nova train fleet and the company will play a key role in the significant infrastructure boost to be delivered as part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade now getting underway.
“I am delighted to be joining TransPennine Express at such a pivotal time as more and more people begin to return to the railway and use the train to connect with friends and family again,” said Matthew Golton.
“I went to university in Hull and have spent part of my career working in Yorkshire so am very happy to be returning to the North. I’m looking forward to meeting customers as restrictions continue to ease and making further improvements as we deliver our new National Rail Contract which will provide an opportunity to put our train services at the heart of post-pandemic recovery, connecting people, places and local economies.”
