Tram boss to pass on reins after four years
METROLINK DIRECTOR WILL CONTINUE ON PART-TIME BASIS
THE MAN behind Metrolink – now the country’s biggest light rail network – is stepping down.
Metrolink director Peter Cushing has given up the driving seat to Danny Vaughan, who has been his deputy for four years.
Danny, whose title will be head of Metrolink, joined the network over from Luas, Dublin’s light rail network, in 2013.
Peter, who has been at the helm for four years, will continue on a parttime basis overseeing the change in operator from RATP Dev UK Lt to KeolisAmey.
As well as managing issues including points failures and ice and snow, he has overseen the massive expansion of the network – including the airport line – which scooped civil engineering awards, and the Second City Crossing, which involved the delicate task of exhuming 280 bodies. He’s also helped pave the way for the Trafford line, set to open in 2020.
Peter said: “It has been an absolute honour and privilege to be part of the Metrolink team during the network’s transformation.
“They are a fantastic group of people and deserve a great deal of praise for the incredible things they’ve achieved in recent years. “The past four years has not been without its challenges, but they have only served to make the many successes we’ve shared all the more rewarding. “This year is going to be a fantastic period for the network, with completion of the Second City Crossing, silver jubilee celebrations, and a new operating contract in place. “Collectively, it feels like a fitting point in time to end my tenure and I can think of no better person to pass the mantle to than Danny, given his vast experience in the Peter Cushing, TfGM light rail industry and his fantastic approach to working with all the partners involved.”
Coun Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM committee, described Peter as ‘outstanding.’
Describing his role as vital in delivering one of the largest transport projects in the Metrolink expansion, he added: “During his tenure – which, with the shortterm impacts of the expansion felt most keenly, has been one of the most challenging periods in the network’s history – we have seen record-breaking patronage and year-on-year increases in passenger satisfaction.
“That is, quite simply, remarkable and the greatest tribute to his first-class stewardship.”