10 MINUTES 10 QUESTIONS
For the latest quick-fire interview, Steven Knight puts North Yorkshire Moors Railway CEO Chris Price into the hot seat.
CHRIS was brought up in Birmingham, joining the Royal Air Force when he was 18. After 10 years in the military, he left to follow his dream and work in the heritage railway movement joining the Talyllyn Railway.
As a trained RAF fitter, he was part of the workshop team before becoming workshop supervisor.
His first general manager role was at the Fairbourne Railway, and after a break to gain wider management skills, he became general manager of the Talyllyn Railway.
Just over two years later, he had the opportunity to manage the NYMR. He joined the Heritage Railway Association Board in 2018 and has since become its vice-chairman. He was recently elected as the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society’s president.
Chris lives in Pickering with his wife Alison, a Macmillan Nurse, and has two adult children. His enjoys volunteer driving on the Talyllyn, motorcycling, and watching his football team when he gets the time.
Q. What was your first job?
I had a paper round but got unfairly dismissed in my opinion, I didn’t take it to tribunal!
My first full-time job was with Royal Air Force in 1984.
Q. Were you interested in trains before you joined the rail industry? Yes, I was never a trainspotter, but my father’s passing interest saw me volunteering at the Talyllyn when I was 16 on a family holiday in the area.
Q. What attracted you to your current role?
The opportunity to manage one of the big heritage railways was a massive draw. However, my own ambition to test myself at a higher level, and my personal family position at the time, were also factors.
Q. What has been your biggest achievement?
Sustaining a marriage for 34 years is certainly the biggest, alongside bringing up two children. My biggest work achievement was leading the NYMR executive team through the pandemic. We avoided job losses while also reviewing the whole business profile. The changes will help the railway sustain future challenges.
Q. …and the low point of your railway career?
Stepping outside the industry for two years due to forces beyond my control. However, the managerial lessons I learnt during that time shaped who I am today, and I feel the situation turned into a positive.
Q. If you were Transport Secretary for a day, what would you do to support or change the industry?
I’d look at the business profile of the industry and realise investment in staff is key. I would make a strong business case to the Treasury for rail investment, and a positive change programme that overhauls the modus operandi. Not necessarily nationalisation, but certainly a more people-focused approach.
We need to start running the railways for the country, not hopelessly chasing a profit that we all know doesn’t exist. Accept the railways are basically a service industry, and be prepared to pay for the overall benefit of the nation. We need a forward-looking public benefit rail industry, not a false profit-based business model. Let’s hope Great British Railways emulates the above… maybe a tough challenge in a day though!
Q. How do you relax away from work?
I still volunteer as a driver at the Talyllyn Railway, but also love my home life. If I am honest, I am slightly consumed by the heritage railway industry, much to the displeasure of my wife.
Q. What is your view on the current state of the railway industry?
I think I have covered that in my earlier answer, but I fear the current model is crumbling. Why do I fear that we have a Government approaching union action like Thatcher approached the miners’ strike? The amount of train operating companies in the hands of the operator of last resort is slightly scary and demonstrates that the current model is failing. I want the industry to rise from the ashes, not be consumed by the complacency fire. I hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
Q. …and where do you see the industry in 2050?
As we currently stand, I see an industry which is a shadow of what we currently have. What I hope for is a rail industry being the centre of our country’s strategy in the fight against climate change.
Q. Finally, is there something about you that you can share with us that our readers are unlikely to know?
I was at Wembley when my football team beat Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup 2-1, yes a long-suffering Birmingham City fan. I can also ice skate and ski, which isn’t bad for an overweight 57-year-old. I also have a motorcycle that I don’t get out on enough.