What is Transport Focus?

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Where to begin?

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Rail user

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Rail user

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Rail user

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Rail user

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Not sure where to start?

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The Transport Focus team

Kalpna Chunilal,

Project and Finance Executive

Kalpna has a background in Business Psychology and currently works within the Corporate Services team assisting both HR and Finance.

Best Journey: Manchester to Sheffield – the view is just beautiful! Worst Journey: Attempting to bring fresh homemade bakes into the office during a very busy morning commute!

Jags Lota,

Insight and Evidence Executive

Jags has had a varied career journey. He spent five years in market research before deciding to take a career detour firstly within mobile networks at O2 and then at a charity called Shaw Trust. Jags helped people find work who were struggling with mental and physical challenges and then switched over to the marketing team. Keen to bring all his experience together, Jags returns to the research path with the Insight team at Transport Focus. 

Favourite journey: I do like driving up the M40, one of the few untouched motorways, mainly from Slough to Oxford (sometimes further up) especially the part which cuts through Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve near Stokenchurch.

Colette Gill,

Senior Communications Officer

Colette has worked extensively within local and regional government communications; her previous role was with Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. Colette has also worked with Liverpool John Moores University, De Montfort University and initiatives in housing and regeneration.

Favourite journey: Coming into Liverpool Lime Street from anywhere. I’m always in awe of the amazing slice the line makes through the enormous sandstone walls – it’s like looking at layers of history.

Guy Dangerfield,

Head of Strategy and Intelligence

Alex Robertson, chief executive of Transport Focus.

Alex Robertson,

Chief Executive

Alex spent over five years at Transport for London early in his career working in policy and public affairs. After a brief spell in the voluntary sector, he moved to the Electoral Commission where he was Director of Communications and the Programme Director for the Scottish Referendum (2014) and EU Referendum (2016). Prior to joining Transport Focus, Alex was the Executive Director for Strategy and Operations with the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman and Chief Operating Officer at the Pensions Ombudsman.

Favourite journey: any part of the West Highland line.

Daniel Maguire,

Digital Media and Communications Officer

Daniel is the Digital Communications Officer at Transport Focus, looking after our website and social media channels. Daniel has previously worked in policing with roles at the British Transport Police and the College of Policing. He spent 9 years working in education at City and Islington College.

Favourite journey: London to Edinburgh – the view of the coastline from Newcastle to Edinburgh is just incredible.

Yvonne Fox-Burmby,

Engagement Manager

Yvonne works closely with our stakeholders to ensure the transport user is represented. She has a background in the careers service, having spent 12 years as a guidance practitioner.

Favourite journey: the journey over Woodhead Pass (A628) through the Peak District. Beautiful all year round but particularly in autumn, when there’s a stunning array of colours. It also signals that I’m nearing home!
Martin Clarke

Martin Clarke,

Rail technical advisor

Martin initially joined Transport Focus in 2013, working in a variety of roles across the organisation, from governance to policy to stakeholder engagement. Since then, he has spent a period working for a bus and community transport operator, and currently as a manager for Community Rail Network. He offers advice and support to Transport Focus on rail industry matters.

Favourite journey: Train from Chur to St Moritz in Switzerland. Breathtaking two hours of stunning scenery and amazing engineering, with spectacular viaducts and spiral tunnels as the train winds its way up the valley. Now a world heritage site https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1276/.
Transport Focus Board member, Sandra Witzel

Sandra Witzel,

Board member

Sandra Witzel is an experienced company director, board trustee, committee member and chief marketing officer with public and private sector experience in the UK and internationally. She brings together professional expertise in transport technology and lived experience of disability, with an award-winning profile as influential advocate and speaker for accessibility, diversity and inclusion. She is a board trustee of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers UK, co-founder of Women in Mobility UK, and Ambassador for the #DiversityInTransport network, an initiative by the European Commission.

Joanne Trotman,

Engagement Manager

Jo works with stakeholders in the Midlands and Yorkshire Northeast, using our research to make a difference for road users.

Favourite journey: Driving back to the motherland on a sunny day. How can you ever beat that?!

David Beer,

Senior Engagement Manager - Wales

David has over 40 years’ experience in the transport industry. He leads our work on improving bus passenger satisfaction nationally and our work in Wales, building relationships across national and local government, transport industry and passenger groups; raising issues from an evidence base to influence improvements for passengers, policy and investment.

Favourite journey: Seeing the spectacular view crossing the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö on the Öresund train.

Sharon Hedges,

Senior Engagement Manager - Contracts and Customers

Sharon has worked for Transport Focus since 2006. She heads up our work on rail contracts – seeking to get a good deal for passengers from the agreements between contract specifiers/managers and the operators of rail services. She also works with policy teams to highlight key passenger issues, making recommendations about how they can be addressed and provides advice on passenger satisfaction metrics.

Favourite journey: descending the Dantercepies run to Selva at the end of the Sella Ronda ski circuit.

Olivia Patten,

Engagement Manager

Prior to joining Transport Focus Olivia worked 13 years in the charity sector, more specifically on crime reduction and later in local government. She worked collobaratively with local businesses, voluntary organisations and community leaders to advocate for the community, and collectively create a safer environment. She now uses these skills to work in partnership with stakeholders in lobbying for the needs of passengers.
Favourite journey: London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly lots of nostalgic memories.

Kieran Watkins,

Communications Manager

Aiden Hawker,

Insight and Evidence Executive

Prior to joining Transport Focus Aiden led research projects for an array of public and private sector clients. Using his experience, he works closely with our delivery partners and other stakeholders to unlock innovative insights and improve the experience of transport users.

Favourite journey: Driving the NC500 and Bealach na Bà.

Louise Collins,

Director

Louise joined Transport Focus in 2011. She has worked in a variety of areas including getting the best for passengers from rail franchises, helping motorway services operators make improvements for road users and working closely with bus partnerships. She now oversees work on behalf of all transport users.

Favourite journey: having spent many years travelling by train between Leeds and Rochdale nothing beats the view out of the window as you go past beautiful scenery and know you are almost home.

Robert Pain,

Insight and Evidence Manager – tracker/large project lead

Robert gathers the views of transport users and shares them with those who can make a difference to their future experiences. He brings almost 30 years experience gained in research agencies to his role.

Favourite journey: a two-day boat trip along the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos.

Mike Bartram,

Bus policy adviser

Mike has been advising on bus policy since 2009, helping to shape research, writing and editing reports and contributing to discussions with stakeholders.

Favourite journey: Eurostar to anywhere.

Hazel Phillips,

Senior Public Affairs Manager

Hazel joined Transport Focus in 2014 as acting Head of Communications and has since moved on to a public affairs role. She previously worked for an environmental consumer organisation and held several government roles.

Favourite journey: by train, the dramatic stretch from Teignmouth through Dawlish and up the Exe estuary. By road, the A4117 in Shropshire towards Ludlow gives a fabulous view of the ‘patchwork quilt’ type landscape.

Jordan Sargeant,

Senior Engagement Manager

Jordan works on policy issues relating to rail fares, Delay Repay and more.

Favourite journey: by train, or more often than not the M6, the best journey is one that ends in the Lake District.

Trisha McAuley OBE,

Board member for Scotland

Trisha is an experienced chair and non-executive director, with experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors, and with a particular focus on regulated industries. Her professional background is in consumer affairs. For over twenty years she was a senior executive in UK and Scottish consumer organisations. She is widely recognised as a national consumer expert and was awarded an OBE for services to consumer affairs in 2015.

Worst journey: spending eight hours on a return journey between Glasgow and Edinburgh in the 2010 winter freeze, and not even getting off the train, never mind getting to my meeting. We spent half of that journey on a bridge looking down at a motorway, watching motorists being rescued after spending the night in their cars, but I have to say the train staff were heroes!

Ping Teo,

Engagement Manager

Ping returned to join Transport Focus for a second time after a career segue to manage a bed and breakfast in the rainforest of Borneo. She has experience working across many different industries, most recently for the London Legacy Development Corporation, who manages and redeveloped the Olympic Park after the 2012 Games.

Her favourite journey is always the one when traveling to a new destination!

Robert Samson,

Senior Engagement Manager - Scotland

Robert liaises with all levels of Government and transport providers, advocates for the best deal for transport users, and uses our insight to secure improvements for transport users. He joined Transport Focus in 1999, after eighteen years working for British Rail.

Favourite journey: a hark back to childhood days during the summer holidays when we would join a mystery bus tour from Motherwell to some unknown exotic destination. The mystery lasted a few minutes - if the bus turned right it meant Troon or Saltcoats, left it meant Portobello. Happy days!

Michelle Roles,

Engagement Manager

Michelle works closely with key stakeholders in Wales to ensure the passenger voice is heard. She has extensive experience in policy and planning, public protection, and quality improvement, gained in environments including education and policing.

Favourite journey: overnight sleeper train from Moscow to St Petersburg, or a slow jaunt on the picturesque Heart of Wales Line.

Shahid,

Finance Manager

Shahid manages the finances for Transport Focus and regular reporting to management team, Board and our sponsors Department for Transport. Previously worked for the NHS.

Favourite journey: Always the one home!

Elliot Cochrane,

Policy Manager

Elliot Cochrane joined Transport Focus in late 2024 as a Policy Manager. Elliot is a policy and political consultant with extensive experience of working across government and politics to achieve positive engagement, influence, and outcomes. Elliot’s previous experience includes working on policy at the National Trust, for a Member of Parliament and as an Account Manager at Connect - a leading public affairs agency where his work was shortlisted at PRCA Public Affairs Awards 2019 for Best In-House Consultancy Collaboration.

Elliot uses his extensive experience working across government and politics to ensure that transport policy is designed and delivered to ensure the very best outcomes for passengers.

Favourite journey: It's hard in my mind to beat a trip along the St Ives Bay Line.

William Powell,

Board member for Wales

William has been active in Welsh public affairs since 2004 as a county councillor, National Park Authority member and member of the National Assembly for Wales until 2016. He is currently county councillor for Talgarth Ward in Powys. William has a strong interest in rural policy, sustainability and transport. He has been a board member of several organisations in the voluntary sector.

Favourite journey: favourite UK train journey is from Shrewsbury to Barmouth, along the stunning Cambrian Line. Internationally, it has to be the journey from Nice to Marseille.
Nina Howe

Nina Howe,

Senior Engagement Manager

Nina works closely with Great Western Railway and Network Rail’s Western Route, acting as a ‘critical friend’ on behalf of passengers in the region.

Worst journey: being stranded for 24 hours by a snowstorm at Frankfurt airport two days before Christmas with no flight availability out to Singapore where my family were waiting for me.

Louise Coward,

Head of Insight and Evidence

Louise has worked in research and insight for more than 15 years and for Transport Focus since 2012. Before joining Transport Focus she worked in various research agencies on a range of projects for government and commercial clients in education, health, transport, financial and other sectors.
Natasha Grice, director at Transport Focus

Natasha Grice,

Director

Prior to her current position at Transport Focus, Natasha spent over twenty years on the West Coast Mainline with the majority of that time with Virgin Trains. Carrying out various roles from the frontline to the boardroom she has focused on both customer and people throughout her career.

She was a part of the executive team at Virgin Trains for four years as Executive Director People and Culture and as Executive Director Customer Experience. Natasha joined Transport Focus from Chiltern Railways where she was Interim Head of Customer Strategy.
Transport Focus board member, Tricia Hayes.

Tricia Hayes CB,

Board member

Tricia Hayes is a former civil service Permanent Secretary now a non-executive Chair, Board Member and adviser. Having spent most of her 35-year civil service career in the Department for Transport, she moved to the Home Office for the last three years, finishing in May 2023 as its Second Permanent Secretary. She is now Chair of London TravelWatch, the statutory transport watchdog for London, a Member of the Board of Transport Focus and a Member of the Authority of the British Transport Police.

Andy Cottrell,

Corporate Services Director

Andy is a Chartered Accountant who has experience leading finance and corporate services teams across the government, charity and education sectors. Andy joined from the Office of the Children's Commissioner, and previously was director at a sight-loss charity. Andy is also a keen charity trustee and treasurer.

Favourite journey: The train crossing the Somerset Levels from Castle Cary to Taunton.

Jon Carter,

Head of Governance and Risk

Jon oversees the board and governance team and is responsible for all aspects of corporate governance, including board appointments, business planning, internal audit and information management. After ten years in the private sector, Jon joined British Rail in 1996 before being appointed deputy director and network coordinator of the then Central Rail Users’ Consultative Committee, Transport Focus’s forerunner, in 1998. Jon is a standing member of the change team, oversees the Collaboration Agreement with London TravelWatch, and is a UK Associate of PTSI, a passenger advisory body based in Rutherford, New Jersey.

Jon lives in Margate, Kent, and Montayral, Lot-et-Garonne.
Kate Denham

Kate Denham,

Board member

Kate is currently managing director of The Public Good Company, advising on strategy, commercialisation, and growth and service modernisation through technology throughout the public and third sectors. She is vice-chair of Accelerate, an award-winning social enterprise, and was previously a board member for St Martin of Tours which provides accommodation for individuals with mental health needs, and Healthwatch Croydon, the consumer champion for health and social care.

Nigel Stevens,

Chair of the Board

Nigel Stevens joined the Transport Focus Board as chair on 1 June 2022. He brings to the Board extensive experience in corporate governance, operational management and logistics; putting the customer first has been a consistent passion for him throughout his career.

He has held a number of senior executive roles in the transport industry including CEO of Transdev UK and Ireland and COO of UK and Ireland at Keolis Group. Prior to that, he served for almost 20 years in the logistics branch of the Royal Air Force including command of the airport and logistic wing at RAF Brize Norton and numerous operational tours in the Middle East and Kosovo. Nigel is a non-executive director of the Royal United Hospitals Trust in Bath.

Favourite journey: the coastal Dawlish stretch of the GWR line, heading en route to my parent’s home in Devon. Worst journey: M5 to Devon during the holiday season!

Andrew Rowen,

Finance Executive

Andrew ensures that all the projects we undertake are regularly reviewed and reported to management team and board each month.

Favourite journey: London St Pancras to Paris via Eurostar - more relaxing than flying, plus you get to see some great countryside.

Anthony Smith,

Chief Executive

Having qualified as a solicitor, Anthony worked for five years as principal consumer lawyer for the Consumers’ Association, publishers of Which? This was followed by a year as the legal consultant for Consumers International, a worldwide federation of consumer groups. Prior to joining Transport Focus, Anthony was deputy and acting director of ICSTIS, the regulator of premium rate telephone services. He is also a member of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Consumer Panel.

Favourite journey: top bus journey is the Purbeck Breezer, on rail it’s the trip from Manchester to Sheffield, and the best car journey is the Medway Bridge on the M2. However, nothing tops the journey home.

Josh Whitton,

Policy Manager

Josh joined Transport Focus in 2024. Prior to joining Transport Focus Josh worked within the British transport regulator on both road and rail policy. Previously Josh has experience in outreach and youth development within civil engineering, academia, and nuclear energy research.

Favourite journey: A dramatic and picturesque 6 hour train ride from Athens to Thessaloniki, excluding the occasional breakdown.
Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor,

Policy and Accessibility Manager

Dan works on a range of policy issues including accessibility, passenger information during disruption and personal security. He also contributes to our work on rolling stock design and has managed several projects looking at passenger expectations of new trains.

Favourite journey: the long drive down to Cornwall from Sussex and arriving in a world far removed from the usual train commute to London.

Keith Richards OBE,

Board member

Keith is the former chair of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Consumer Panel and is currently chair of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, advising the Department for Transport on access, equality and vulnerability issues. He is a panel member at the Competition and Markets Authority, and a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel at the Financial Conduct Authority. Keith is a barrister, arbitrator and commercial mediator and has particular expertise in alternative dispute resolution and Ombudsman schemes.

Phil Carey,

Policy advisor

Phil makes sure that government investment in roads is in line with what users want. He is a former civil servant with 20 years experience in transport strategy.

Favourite journey: the best part of any journey is an empty road ahead and scenery to inspire!

Mike Hewitson,

Head of Policy

Mike joined Transport Focus in 1995 (as part of the then regional network of passenger committees) before moving on to national policy issues. He is heavily involved in fares, franchising and consumer policy.

Luca Difato,

Communications Officer

Before joining Transport Focus, Luca spent two years working for a public affairs agency specialising with internal and digital communications for a wide range of clients across local government and the built environment. Luca also gained experience working in the charity sector with Citizens Advice Bureau following their graduation from the University of Nottingham in 2021.

Favourite journey: London to Brighton and seeing all the seagulls appearing from Preston Park onwards.

Sarah Carney,

Policy and Engagement Manager

Sarah works on rail policy and engagement. She has a decade of experience in policy research focused on human rights, equality and inclusion. She has worked across academia, government and civil society, as well as international institutions.

Favourite journey: The view of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Mangerton Mountains on the train into Kerry.

Rob Wilson,

Board member

Rob is a former member of parliament, minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and parliamentary private secretary to George Osborne, Chancellor. He is currently an independent director of the Consumer Council for Water and a non-executive director of the Marine Management Organisation. He is also a Daily Telegraph columnist.

Toby Cotton,

Insight and Evidence Manager – in house research lead

Toby gathers and analyses the views of transport users to help improve future experiences. He is a market and social researcher with 15 years experience.

Favourite journey: those I make to spend a long weekend watching live music with friends.

Katherine McGowan-Downey,

Senior Engagement Manager

Katherine works on a range of road policy issues, including our work on consumer interests in the switch to electric vehicles.

Favourite journey: from Nuwara Eliya to Ella in Sri Lanka by train.

Matt Hadlington,

Head of Communications and Public Affairs

Matt joined Transport Focus from HS2, where most recently he has been acting Head of Public Affairs. He has worked in a number of roles across the full spectrum of communications, mostly within the transport sector. After spending 12 years with Network Rail in various roles he then joined HS2 working across community engagement, campaign communications, public consultation, media and public affairs.

His favourite rail journey is the Trans Pennine route between Leeds and Manchester.

Matthew Radburn,

Engagement Manager

Matt currently works as an Engagement Manager with a regional focus of the North East. Prior to joining Transport Focus, Matt had extensive experience in academia and research. Having undertaken a policing focused PhD at the University of Leeds, Matt worked within Keele University’s Policing Academic Collaboration. During this time, he collaborated with several police forces on largescale funded research projects. The most recent one of these was TASERD – a programme of research exploring the causes of racial disproportionality in relation to the police use of Taser.

Favourite journey: My route to the office is an amazing journey when it goes smoothly – Sheffield to Manchester.

Tenzeela Ahmad,

Human Resources Advisor

Tenzeela has worked in various Human Resource roles prior to joining the team, including her introduction to Human Resources at Manchester City Council. She has always held an interest in Human Resources following her BSc (Hons) in Business Studies with Human Resources Management.
Favourite journey: Lake district and passing all the greenery along the way.