Transport for London (TfL) has announced that Andy Byford, who started his career as a trainee on the London Underground, is to be London’s new Transport Commissioner.
Andy Byford’s most recent job was as president of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), but he started his career in the railways as a graduate trainee on the London Underground in 1989 before working his way up to General Manager – Customer Service for the Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines.
Since then he has worked on the UK’s national rail, and in Australian, Canada and most recently the USA. He resigned from the New York role earlier this year, following reports of disagreements with Governor Andrew Cuomo, and he cited his “reduced role” in his resignation letter.
As Commissioner at TfL, he will be in charge of the day to day running of the entire network, reporting to TfL’s Chair, which is always the Mayor of London.
He will take up the role on 29 June 2020, with the current Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, staying on until 10 July 2020. Mike Brown was due to have stepped down to take up a role overseeing the restoration of the Houses of Parliament but delayed his departure to stay at TfL during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
New Yorks loss is London’s gain. His resignation could have been so easily avoided but the Govenor of New York thought he knew better.
Plenty of articles on your sister blog – Sedond Avenue Sagas – is anyone wants to read all the insand outs.
One clarification – the chair of TFL does not have to be the Mayor.
The Mayor can be the chair if that is their desire (which it always has been) but they don’t have to be