Alex Hynes appointed CEO of DFTO as public ownership rail reforms advance

The Department for Transport has named Alex Hynes as the new Chief Executive of Department for Transport Operator (DFTO), the publicly owned holding company bringing private rail operators into public ownership in the run‑up to the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).

image: DfT/gov.uk

The appointment marks a key step in the government’s programme to integrate track and train under a unified public operator. Hynes is due to take over the role at Christmas, when current CEO Robin Gisby leaves at the end of his fixed‑term contract.

Hynes brings to the post extensive rail‑industry experience, including senior roles at ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland between 2017 and 2024 – and earlier as Managing Director of Northern Trains, where he led the operator through public takeover in 2020, achieving strong customer and employee satisfaction scores.

The appointment comes as roughly half of the country’s train operators have now transferred to public ownership, starting with the recent handover of Greater Anglia services in October 2025. The government says DFTO – under Hynes’s leadership – will continue to manage upcoming transitions as more operators come under public control.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said, “This government is making strides in our ambitious rail reforms and establishing Great British Railways, delivering a network which is run for the public, owned by the public.

“Alex Hynes’s appointment will build on the achievements so far of smoothly bringing operators into public ownership and I’m confident that will continue going forward.”

Richard George, Chair of DFTO, said, “I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Alex Hynes as the new Chief Executive Officer of DFTO. His previous leadership of Scotland’s Railway as the Managing Director – leading the ScotRail Alliance, a partnership between ScotRail Trains and Network Rail Scotland, make him uniquely positioned to lead DFTO through this next critical phase, as we complete the programme for public ownership and continue to improve our services for customers through greater collaboration with Network Rail and other parts of the industry.”

Hynes said he was honoured to join DFTO at such a pivotal moment, highlighting the need to focus on providing safe, reliable, efficient services for passengers while supporting the broader rail reform agenda.

As part of the transition, more than 200 civil servants from the Department for Transport’s rail teams will transfer into DFTO by April 2026 – a move designed to give DFTO the capacity to manage the growing number of publicly owned operators.