Northern appoints Network Rail leader to head-up property estate

He brings with him a wealth of experience in buildings asset management, having spent ten years managing the Network Rail building infrastructure portfolio along the North and East Coast routes.

Commenting on his appointment, Robert Ellams said: “In my previous role at Network Rail I’ve had the opportunity to work with Northern on their property portfolio in the North West and the North East, so I’ve already got an understanding and appreciation of the challenges we face as a business.

“There are 2,570 stations on the UK mainline and Northern is responsible for the management of 467 of those – more than any other train operator in the UK. That’s no mean feat.”

Lisa Leighton, people director at Northern, added: “We’re working hard to make our stations the heart of their community, not only providing a safe and comfortable environment to catch the train – but also to offer additional services that make our customers’ lives easier.

“Robert’s experience in this area is exceptional and his move from Network Rail to Northern is a great example of how the rail industry can benefit from career development opportunities across track and train and we’re delighted he’s joining the team.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 467 stations across the North of England.