East West Railway Company appoints Beth West as new chief executive officer
The new chief executive officer of the East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has been named as Beth West.
Ms West will take up the post on Friday (April 1) succeeding Simon Blanchflower, who retires tomorrow (March 31).
She was previously the regional south managing director at Balfour Beatty where she had responsibility for a range of civil engineering and building projects.
Her previous positions include being commercial director for HS2, head of development for Landsec and spending nine years in several roles at Transport for London.
Ms West is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
She said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead EWR Co. The organisation has ambitious plans to make a significant and positive difference to the lives of communities and businesses along the route.
“Delivering a new, sustainable connection between Oxford and Cambridge will be good for businesses, create more jobs for local people, help attract investment to the area and increase prosperity. I intend to see EWR at the forefront of innovation, exploring new and better ways to plan, build and run rail in the UK.
“I am really looking forward to working with local communities, as well as the EWR Co team and our partners, and a wealth of other stakeholders to deliver East West Rail.”
At Landsec, Ms West worked on The Forge, which was constructed using a platform-led approach to design and construction that resulted in large reductions in material usage and waste.
Another of her projects - Timber Square - was designed from the outset to simultaneously address the climate emergency and have a positive impact on people’s quality of life, through the choice of materials and approach to construction.
The East West Rail route, expected to cost in the region of £5billion, is due to connect Oxford to Cambridge via Milton Keynes, Bedford and new stations at St Neots South/Tempsford and Cambourne. East West Rail Company favours a southern approach into the city for the line, which would link up with the forthcoming Cambridge South railway station at the fast-growing Biomedical Campus.
Villagers along the line have expressed concern that it could split their communities and are alarmed by the prospect of high embankments. Those in favour, meanwhile, argue a new rail line will be key to easing Cambridge’s congestion crisis, particularly with the high level of house-building due in the region.
Neil Sachdev, chair of EWR Co, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Simon for his dedication to EWR and his lifetime of service to the rail industry. As EWR Co’s first CEO, Simon has established strong foundations that will enable us to address the lack of east – west connections in the area and look to the future with confidence.”
“I am delighted that someone of Beth’s calibre will be taking the helm at EWR. Beth is an accomplished leader, combining strong industry experience with an ability to inspire and drive positive change. EWR Co has always set out to do things differently, moving away from the traditional rail model and Beth is a natural fit to continue this new approach. I am looking forward to working with her and I am confident she will bring fresh insight to the role of CEO.”
Rail minister Wendy Morton MP said: “I’d like to thank Simon for his commitment to East West Rail, driving forward the project and setting the groundwork to bring together communities across the region.”
“Beth joins the team with a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and fresh ideas and I look forward to working with her on this vital project.”
Read more:
‘Show us the case for East West Rail – or get on and cancel it’
