Hull Trains Managing Director Dunnett resigns

Will Dunnett has resigned with immediate effect as Managing Director of FirstGroup-owned Hull Trains. He left the company on February 23 after five years at the helm, although an announcement was not made until nearly a fortnight later.

According to FirstGroup, Dunnett’s departure is unconnected to recent fleet availability issues that have hit the operator hard.

On March 1, two of Hull Trains’ four Class 180 Adelantes were withdrawn for repairs to their electrical systems, which had suffered from damage caused by snow and ice during ‘the Beast from the East’.

Meanwhile, a third ‘180’ remains out of action after an engine fire in December, which meant that for more than a week the operator ran a significantly reduced service between Hull and King’s Cross using its single operational train.

The four trains will go off-lease next year when Hull Trains takes delivery of five Class 802 bi-mode trains currently on order from Hitachi Rail Europe.

Former Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson told local media that Dunnett had “chosen to move on to different things”, and that he [Dunnett] would be unable to discuss the issue until April 1.

He added: “I was involved in the inception of Hull Trains [in 2000] and he has easily been the best MD we have had.”

Hull Trains is currently being led by its Director of Service Delivery Louise Cheeseman.