Metrolink chief to step down
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 part-time 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.”