Moving rail forward together
Mike Brown CBE MVO, Chair of RSSB’s Board, discusses rail reform, industrial relations, and our key priorities in the coming years.
Mike Brown CBE MVOChair of the Board, RSSB
Mike Brown, Chair of the RSSB Board, has decades of experience across the transport sector. For several years, ‘anything that moved in London’ was under his management. Read on for Mike’s perspectives on ensuring smooth rail operations, navigating tension, and what to expect for the sector in the next few years.
Let’s start with some background. Can you tell us a bit about your journey in rail?
I started at what was then London Transport in 1989. From there, I got into various fleet maintenance and station operations roles with London Underground. I eventually ended up as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. I dealt with some big events during that time, including the July 2005 bombings.
I left TfL to run Heathrow Airport. But even in being responsible for what was, then, the world’s busiest international airport, I kept a rail link, with the Heathrow Express service being part of my remit.
Later, I came back to London Underground as Managing Director to set us up to deliver a reliable service for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
In 2015, I became the Transport Commissioner. So, in addition to the railways (London Underground, London Overground, Trams, and Docklands Light Railway), I was responsible for the city’s strategic roads, buses, boats, and taxi/private hire regulation—and even the cable car. Just as important was the multi-billion-pound capital investment programme to ensure the long-term improvements in London’s transport system were delivered.
I suppose it was true that much of what moved around London, and how well it worked, was down to me.
You’re coming up on two years of being Chair of the RSSB board. Can you describe your experience so far and tell us why the role is important to you?
The Chair role was attractive for many reasons, not least because of all the focus on the wider rail agenda. And, of course, I was aware of the organisation’s reputation for delivery through the many great people in the team.
What has been impressive to me is that the members—who pay for us—have ensured there is a high calibre of board members around the table. Those member representatives are fantastic advocates for RSSB with the wider industry and its various subsectors.
In my time on the board, I’ve also seen a change from an executive committee that was perhaps, understandably, a bit protective of its responsibilities, to one that’s really open to input from the board, and I really welcome that.
While RSSB has an independent oversight role, we must respond to the needs of our members. We must make sure we strike that balance between innovation and doing the right things for the industry. We also need to keep delivering value for our members’ businesses in a way that is quantifiable and measurable in monetary terms.
Tell us a little about RSSB’s business plan for 2024 to 2029. What are the main objectives?
Our six strategic business areas will continue to play a key role. But to call out a couple of key areas, sustainability is going to be a real commitment. We’re leading and doing some great work in that space. Another focus will be the digitalisation of our estate. This will involve making ourselves and our materials and resources more accessible.
The formation of this Strategic Business Plan has been an impressive piece of work, and we have engaged with the most senior-level leaders of the industry. What struck me when I arrived was that everybody in the industry knew about RSSB, but it tended to be more people at the technical and safety level who knew more about the value that RSSB could offer. The senior leadership did not always have that level of understanding. What we continue to do with our business plan is communicate in such a way that makes it digestible for industry leaders regardless of their experience in the industry.
Rail executives will no doubt be vital in helping to realise some of these goals. What can they do to get the key messaging to their organisations?
I think it is partly about what those leaders can do, but it is also about what we can do to help them understand what they can do.
In particular, our non-executive board members have an important role in feeding back to the part of the industry that they represent. We have seen increasing evidence of this happening in the past few years. For example, I recently spoke with the high-speed representative around our board table, and she’s really focused on ensuring a clear line of communication between her and the others in her part of the industry. So, I think there’s real opportunity there.
I think the other thing is recognising the breadth of what we do. We need to make sure rail executives understand what we offer, and that they know they can get in touch with us to ask us questions. We don’t want to be an impenetrable, non-human organisation. I think the more we can interact with industry leaders, the better it is for all of us.
You mentioned that sustainability will be key over the next five years, and you led on delivering the world’s first Ultra Low Emissions Zone. Do you think rail has anything to learn from this initiative?
No doubt. Of course, the difference with motor vehicles generally is that, whether they’re private or public, it’s a much quicker turnaround to deliver new technology than it is with rail vehicles. They have a much longer life before they depreciate as an asset. So, I think we need to be realistic about what’s achievable while not backing away from what should and must be a very ambitious agenda.
It’s not going to be straightforward. There will always be points of tension. But we should remember that this is very important for people’s lives and health. We’ve got a responsibility to at least call out what we could be doing in terms of a strategic pathway. I think we want some energy, and we want a bit of tension, drive, and, yes, debate about the best way to achieve progress.
It’s an election year, and the two main parties have recently set out their respective policies for rail at the recent Bradshaw Address. What do you think are the key takeaways?
It’s important that we engage as much as we can with the emerging political thinking. Equally, I think there will be lots said that we must test at a practical level whether it will be delivered or not.
What is vital for us is to ensure that the voice of independence from the safety and standards perspective is prevailing. That does not necessarily mean that we must be structured exactly as we are now. It also does not mean we have to be an entirely separate body from any other new structures in the industry. But our independent thought and line of sight must prevail.
A rail reform bill is out there, and that will go through all levels of scrutiny. I cannot imagine there’ll be anything on the statute book this side of an election. So, the important thing for now is that we continue the dialogue, and that the new ministers—from whichever party—continue that dialogue with us.
What are the prospects for industrial relations in the months and years ahead?
The important things are dialogue, trust, and ensuring that any transformation in the delivery of the rail business brings the trade unions with you. The trade unions represent swathes of the workforce, and it is important to maintain relationships at all levels. I know that is difficult when disputes are still ongoing.
Ultimately, though, people have to be allowed to negotiate and come to solutions. The reality is that post-Covid, the structures within the industry make that slightly more challenging than before. But I think the important thing is proper discourse and proper resolution, which—in my experience—happens best around a table, not on a picket line.
Thank you. Lastly, what’s your parting message to our rail leader readers?
Keep being curious about what RSSB has to offer. Don’t assume that we can’t do something to support you or that we don’t have a resource already in place that’s doing the things that could be helpful to your part of the industry.
My objective as the Chair is to make sure we’re relevant to the senior executives and indeed to everyone within the rail industry. We want everyone in the sector to be using our services and resources. We’ll know we’re on the right path when our phone rings more than we have to call others.
Don’t stop hereHead to our website to read our Strategic Business Plan for 2024–2029.
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