The transition towards Great British Railways (GBR) has taken another step forward, with the appointment of three new Non-Executive Directors to the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) Board.
Laura Shoaf, Tony Poulter and Charles Donald join the board at a pivotal moment for the industry, as the shift from Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) to a fully realised national body begins to take shape.
Building the leadership structure for GBR
The appointments are designed to strengthen governance and support delivery as rail reform moves from planning into implementation.
Laura Shoaf, who has chaired SGBR, will continue to play a central role in shaping the future structure of the railway. Under her leadership, senior figures including Alex Hynes (DFTO Chief Executive), Richard Goodman (DfT) and Jeremy Westlake (Network Rail) have worked to establish a new operating model focused on integration.
That model is already being applied in regions such as the South East and East Anglia, where track and train are being brought together under unified leadership.
From fragmentation to integration
The core ambition behind GBR is to remove long-standing fragmentation across the railway. Early work under SGBR has focused on aligning incentives, improving collaboration and reducing duplication.
This is already delivering practical changes. Passengers experiencing disruption can now use tickets across publicly owned operators without additional cost, while digital initiatives have begun to simplify journey planning and ticketing.
Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:
“The leaders working at SGBR have set the standard for the future of British railways. Under their direction, teams are now working together to end years of fragmentation and inefficiency and develop creative and innovative ways of improving the rail network.
“Both Laura and Tony will bring expert knowledge and experience to the DFTO Board as we get ready for GBR. I look forward to working with them to deliver the reliable, affordable and modern railway passengers deserve.”
Strengthening experience across the board
Alongside Shoaf, the DFTO Board gains additional commercial and financial expertise.
Tony Poulter brings experience from the Department for Transport Board and a background at PwC, offering insight into commercial strategy and reform delivery.
Charles Donald joins with a strong public sector and financial background, most recently serving as Chief Executive of UK Government Investments, adding depth in governance and investment oversight.
Sir Andrew Haines, chair of DFTO, said:
“Laura and Tony have very significant experience over a wide range of complementary sectors and will play a vital role in supporting DFTO’s mission to deliver for customers and help build Great British Railways.
“I look forward to working with them both as we continue the transfer programme, implement rail reform and improve performance across the network – work that will benefit passengers and represent better value for taxpayers.”
A system already in transition
The scale of change is already visible. More than 8,500 services a day are now operated under public ownership, serving over 660 million passengers annually.
Eight operators are currently within DFTO’s remit, with Govia Thameslink Railway set to join in May 2026, further accelerating the transition.
