The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) has announced the appointment of Lee Paxton as director of rail operations.
Lee began his career with Network Rail in 2005 before going on to hold a number of positions with Arriva Trains Wales, East Midlands Trains (EMT), and CrossCountry Trains. He joins GCRE from CrossCountry Trains where his most recent role was industry projects director. He was previously network services director and customer service director.
Simon Jones, chief executive of GCRE, said: “Lee is an experienced and highly motivated railway industry professional with a strong track record of leading operational teams and managing the development and delivery of significant infrastructure change. He is a great asset and a very welcome member of the senior team as we continue to attract some of the best talent in the rail industry.”
Lee Paxton said: “I am passionate about putting the customer first and transforming the passenger experience on Britain’s railways. As a major infrastructure project, GCRE will provide much-needed state-of-the-art rolling stock testing, infrastructure testing and storage and maintenance for the UK and international railway industry. It’s a really exciting project that has got the potential to transform our rail industry hence my enthusiasm to get involved and help make it happen.”
GCRE was established by the Welsh Government as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in 2021 with an initial commitment of £50 million. The UK Government is expected to confirm a further £10 million for research and development along with capital funding of £20 million. An investment prospectus to attract private funding for the project is also in development ready for launch in the autumn of 2022.
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