Former Amtrak chief executive appointed to board of Network Rail Consulting

Network Rail Consulting has appointed Thomas Downs as a non-executive director of Network Rail Consulting Ltd and chair of its North American business, Network Rail Consulting Inc.

Downs has more than three decades of railway experience, including most recently four years at Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, where he served as a member of the board of directors, the last two as chair.

He began his railway career as a White House fellow serving as an executive assistant to the U.S. secretary of transportation. Since then, Downs has taken on a number of chief executive officer roles and has been both president and chief executive of Amtrak.

“I am delighted that Tom has agreed to join the Network Rail Consulting board,” said Nigel Ash, managing director of Network Rail Consulting. “Tom’s leadership experience in the U.S. rail market will offer a fresh perspective and serve to strengthen our position in North America. I look forward to working with him over the coming years. “

“I am excited and privileged to serve on the board of an organization that has a global reputation for safety and effective management of rail capital and infrastructure that is second to none,” Downs said.