The Railway Industry Association has appointed David Tonkin as chairman.
Mr Tonkin is the chief executive of Atkins in the UK. In his role as Chairman, Mr Tonkin will lead the RIA Council, which is formed of senior representatives of member companies and directs the activities of the association. He takes over from Colin Walton, formerly Chairman and Chief Country Representative of Bombardier Transportation, UK and Ireland, who has completed his two-year term as RIA Chairman.
David was appointed CEO of Atkins’ UK business in October 2010. Prior to this he was managing director of the company’s rail division. The job included delivering complex signalling projects on the West Coast Main Line upgrade, Port Talbot resignalling and the North London Rail Infrastructure Project, and winning tunnelling design contracts for Crossrail, as part of a joint venture with Arup.
A qualified cost and management accountant David has worked in the brewing, leisure and financial services industries as well as in construction.
A firm supporter of rail he said, ‘Governments around the world continue to invest in infrastructure as a means of driving economic growth. With its ability to provide safe, reliable, fast and green links between cities and regions, rail remains a high priority for many of them. As pioneers of train travel, UK companies can provide valuable skills and experience to support the enhancement and growth of the railway worldwide.’
