Merseyrail appoints managing director

Neil Grabham will leave behind his job as customer services director at East Midlands Railway to take on the top post at the Liverpool City Region rail company in mid-August.

Grabham takes on Andy Heath, who left Merseyrail earlier this summer. Jane English had been acting managing director.

In addition to East Midlands Railway, Grabham has also worked as head of customer service East for Greater Anglia. Prior to joining the world of trains, Grabham worked at Signet Jewellers and Lidl.

As managing director at Merseyrail, Graham will be leading on the company’s roll out of class 77 trains, while also delivering high-quality services for passengers.

“This is an exciting time of transformation, with new trains being introduced, and the opportunity to deliver real improvements in the journey experiences of our customers,” Grabham said.

His appointment was met with satisfaction from the leaders of Merseyrail’s two main stakeholders: Serco and Transport UK.

Transport UK chief executive Dominic Booth said: “Neil’s focus on the customer and providing the best possible operational service levels, will be a great fit for the city region.”

John Whitehurst, managing director of Serco’s transport group, echoed Booth, remarking: “[Grabham] brings with him a wealth of experience and a real focus on customer service, which is so important for Merseyrail as we continue to transform the service on the back of the new train introduction.”

Both Whitehurst and Booth thanked Grabham’s predecessors, Heath and English, for their work with the company.

Merseyrail operates 600 rail services a day in the Liverpool City Region. Approximately 90,000 people travel on its trains every weekday.