Alex Hynes will succeed Robin Gisby as CEO of DfT Operator as a lead-in to the formation of Great British Railways.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the appointment of Alex Hynes as the new chief executive of the DfT Operator (DfTO), the public body that takes over private sector passenger operations as operating contracts expire.
Hines is currently DfT’s Managing Director of Rail Services and is set to succeed DfTO CEO Robin Gisby on 23 December when Gisby’s fixed-term contract expires. Before joining DfT, Haynes was Managing Director of Scottish Rail, where he led the alliance between passenger operator ScotRail and infrastructure manager Network Rail Scotland.
The DfT says Hynes’ significant experience in both the rail industry and DfT will support the government’s policy to bring passenger operations and infrastructure management back together as a publicly owned Great British Railways (GBR), which is set to be created in 2027 through the merger of DfTO and Network Rail.
Following the transfer of Greater Anglia on 12 October, DfTO has taken 50% ownership of the British passenger operators. To ensure it has the necessary resources as the transfer into public ownership continues, more than 200 civilian staff will be transferred from DfT rail teams to the DfTO by 1 April 2026.
“It is a great honor to join the DfTO at such a pivotal moment,” says Hines. “Building on the strong foundations of the DfTO and Robin’s achievements, my focus will be on delivering safe, reliable and efficient services for passengers, and helping to drive rail reform.”
