Laura Shoaf has been appointed Chair of Shadow Great British Railways, a role in which she will help drive the government’s overhaul of the railways, bring senior leaders together to deliver improvements for passengers, work towards a more unified rail system, and help design Great British Railways.
She moves to the post from that of Chief Exec of the West Midlands Combined Authority, before which she was MD of Transport for West Midlands. She was the first female chair of the Urban Transport Group, which comprises transport leaders from across the UK, and supported the industry on its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said: “The arrival of the railways fundamentally changed the United Kingdom – creating huge growth, new connections between communities and opening up the opportunity of jobs and adventure to people across the whole of the country.
“I recognise the great power that our transport network plays in our day-to-day lives, but in order for it to work and in order for it to keep opening up these opportunities, it has to be built around our passengers and freight users.
“It is my privilege to have been asked to Chair Shadow Great British Railways and my focus will be ensuring people are at the heart of the railways and to ensure this remains a focus for years to come.”
