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Crossrail International and Metro de Medellín formalise strategic partnership to advance sustainable rail development in Colombia

Crossrail International is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Metro de Medellín, formalising our shared commitment to strengthening collaboration in rail development, innovation and skills, and sustainable infrastructure across Colombia.

The signing of this partnership comes at a particularly meaningful moment. This year marks 200 years of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Colombia, and also 200 years since the birth of modern rail transport in the UK, a milestone that transformed connectivity, mobility, and social progress around the world. These parallel anniversaries highlight the long-standing ties between our two countries and the shared vision of rail as a catalyst for sustainable development.

Over the past year, Crossrail International and Metro de Medellín have successfully collaborated on a number of initiatives, including technical visits, interviews and specialised workshops. These activities supported our UK PACT-funded technical assistance, which focuses on rail decarbonisation, energy transition and the adoption of clean technologies. Crossrail International experts worked alongside UK industry partners to deliver insights, tools and recommendations aimed at helping Colombia shape a modern, efficient and low-carbon public transport system.

Metro de Medellín’s strong institutional leadership, commitment to innovation, and long-term vision for inclusive, multimodal transport have made them a valuable partner in this journey. Their experience integrating rail systems within a broader sustainable urban mobility framework is widely recognised across Latin America and aligns with our shared goals of designing public transport systems that are environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically resilient.

This new partnership provides an opportunity to take our collaboration further, focusing on:

  • Strengthening institutional and technical capacity for major rail and metro programmes.

  • Supporting skills development and knowledge exchange through peer learning and international engagement.

  • Promoting British expertise and innovation in rail operations, decarbonisation, digital technology, and infrastructure planning.

  • Exploring sustainable mobility solutions that can contribute to Colombia’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

At Crossrail International, we believe that effective partnerships help shape better transport futures. By bringing together local expertise and global experience, we can drive high-impact projects, strengthen decision-making, and improve public transport outcomes for communities.

We look forward to building on this relationship with Metro de Medellín and continuing to support Colombia’s ambition for a modern, inclusive, interconnected and low-carbon rail future.

Toronto, Canada

Metrolinx

Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) Bringing Into Service

Expert advisory services to address issues relating to the testing, commissioning, handover and bringing into service of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) project in Toronto.

Utrecht, The Netherlands

ProRail B.V.

European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Programme Expert Committee

Expert advisory services in support of a second opinion on the projected final cost of introducing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in The Netherlands.

Bogotá, Colombia

Ministry of Transportation/Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN)

Rail Master Plan: Establishment of National Railway Agency

Strategic advisory services for the creation of a dedicated ‘National Railway Agency’ for the reactivation of Colombia’s rail sector, and management of the country’s rail portfolio.

Melbourne, Australia

Metro Tunnel Project (MTP)

Metro Tunnel Project: Route to Acceptance Peer Review Group

Techncial advisory services in support of the Route to Acceptance (RtA) team for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, providing expert challenge during the RtA planning phase and recommendations for improved project delivery.

Cork, Ireland

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)

Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme (CACR) Expert Challenge Panel

Expert advisory services to the Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR) Programme Team and Board, providing high-level guidance, review and assurance of the technical and commercial validity of the CACR programme.

Skopje, North Macedonia

Macedonian Railways Infrastructure (MZI)

Corridor X Railway Infrastructure Project

Strategic advisory services in support of the development and delivery of the 200km Corridor X Railway Infrastructure Project from Tabanovce to Gevgelija.

Pretoria, South Africa

Private Office of the Presidency of South Africa

Operation Vulindlela: Rail Transformation Scoping Opportunities

Scoping study to assess and identify intervention opportunities aligned to Operation Vulindlela policy objectives, and to support a strategic partnership between the UK and the Republic of South Africa for the rail sector.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB)

Implementation of BIM/Digital Technologies

Technical assistance on standardised procurement requirements for Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital technologies for future metro lines in Hanoi.

ukgreencitiesandinfrastructure.org

Manila, Philippines

Department of Transportation (DoTr)

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Pilot Project: SEED

Expert technical assistance to define and implement a pilot study for the integration of land use and transportation planning through transit-oriented development (TOD) at Senate DepEd (SEED) Teacher’s City in Metro Manila, Philippines.

ukgreencitiesandinfrastructure.org

Phnom, Penh, Cambodia

Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT)

Roadmap for Establishment of an Independent Rail Regulator

Technical advisory support to advance development of Cambodian Railway Regulations and establish an independent Rail Regulator for safety and performance.

ukgreencitiesandinfrastructure.org

Rabat, Morocco

ONCF (Office National des Chemins de Fer)

Rail Project Delivery - Digital Transformation Strategy

Specialist technical advisory support to Morocco’s national railway operator for the establishment of digital and information specifications for future infrastructure projects.

ukgreencitiesandinfrastructure.org

Mumbai, India

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

Mumbai Metro Systemwide Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Strategy

Strategic advisory services for the development of an operations and maintenance (O&M) strategy to deliver enhanced systemwide benefits for Mumbai’s future 14-line metro network in Maharashtra State.

ukgreencitiesandinfrastructure.org

Tel Aviv, Israel

NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System

Tel Aviv Metropolitan Metro Network

Strategic advisory and consulting services to assist NTA in determining and formulating a high-level optimal approach for implementation of the Tel Aviv Metro – the largest infrastructure project ever to be undertaken in Israel.

Tabuk Province, Saudi Arabia

NEOM

NEOM The Line Quality Model

Expert advisory services (in support of delivery partner Jacobs) for the development and implementation of the Quality Model for NEOM The Line, a 170km-long, linear urban development and smart city under construction in Tabuk Province.

San Francisco-Los Angeles, California, USA

California High-Speed Rail Authority

California High-Speed Rail Project

Strategic advisory services, in association with KPMG, to share knowledge, exchange lessons learned, and provide international benchmarking and UK good practice.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Ministry of Transportation, Directorate General of Railways

Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail Operational Readiness

Specialist advisory and consultancy servicesfor preliminary operation of the Jakarta to Bandung High-Speed Rail (HSR) project (known as WHOOSH) which commenced operations on 2 October 2023.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Ministry of Transportation, Directorate General of Railways

LRT Jabodebek Operational Readiness

Specialist advisory and consultancy services for preliminary operation of Phase 1 of the  (LRT) project which commenced operations on 28 August 2023.

Bogotá, Colombia

The World Bank

Environmental, Social Sustainability and Governance (ESG) Strategic Framework

Consulting services, in support of local partners Steer and Durán & Osorio, for an environmental, social sustainability and governance (ESG) assessment of Colombia’s national railway sector.

Toronto, Canada

Metrolinx

Establishment of Systems Integration Authority

System engineering support and expert advice for the establishment of a technical Systems Integration Authority for Ontario-government agency, Metrolinx, including a systems integration strategy for the Greater Ontario (GO) Network.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Governor’s Office of the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar (GOCCUB)

Ulaanbaatar Metro - Mass Rapid Transit Project

Financial, commercial and technical advisory services to support the Integrated Project Management Office (IPMO) in establishing execution and management strategies for the proposed GBP 1.8bn, 19.4km Ulaanbaatar Metro.

Port Louis, Mauritius

Ministry of Land Transport

Metro Express LRT O&M Review

Technical assistance to perform an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) review of the Metro Express Light Rail Transit LRT) System.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Subterráneos de Buenos Aires Sociedad del Estado (SBASE)

Buenos Aires Metro Modernisation Programme

Expert technical support for the staged introduction of new rolling stock on Metro Line B, part of the Buenos Aires Subte Metro Modernisation Programme.

Michael Kilby

Michael Kilby

Director and Expert Advisor, Rail Systems

Michael Kilby is Director and Expert Advisor, Rail Systems, responsible for leading and developing CI’s system engineering capability, including system integration and safety. He is an expert in rolling stock, rail systems and system engineering with over 37 years’ experience in the rail industry in UK and the international markets.

Michael specialises in engineering safety management, system integration, rail system design, and rolling stock procurement with expertise in permanent way, traction and non-traction power, signalling, and tunnel ventilation systems, as well as rolling stock specification, design, maintenance, and procurement experience. He is also an expert in railway safety legislation, including the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 (RIR), Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety Regulations) 2006 (ROGS), and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CSM).

Michael’s experience of the Crossrail (Elizabeth line) Project spanned more than 15 years, during which time he established the ‘Acceptance and Bringing into Use’ strategy for Rail for London (Infrastructure) – the infrastructure manager for the Central Operating Section – and served as Head of System Safety and Interoperability, and Head of Rolling Stock and Rail Systems for Crossrail Limited.

Michael holds a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester and is a Charted Engineer by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Bogota, Columbia

Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) 

La Dorada-Chiriguana freight corridor

Expert advisory services, as part of the UK Government’s Global Infrastructure Prosperity Fund Programme, for a pilot application of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) Project Initiation Routemap to Colombia’s La Dorada-Chiriguaná Freight Corridor project, (performed via ‘virtual’ workshops involving key project stakeholders).

Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

The World bank  & PwC Indonesia

Bandung Mass transit project

Business Case development and a Project Capability Review  for the proposed Leuwipanjang-Tegalluar Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Line in Bandung, the first phase of the West Java Railway Master Plan. 

Nairobi, Kenya

Railways Corporation (KRC) 

Freight Revenue Enhancement programme

The programme aimed to support the increase freight capacity on spur, branch and main lines to Nanyuki, Kisumu and Malaba, deliver efficiency improvements to KRC’s operations and provide additional revenues to the National Treasury.

Melbourne, Australia

Rail Project Victoria

Rolling Stock peer review

Member of Peer Review Group for Melbourne’s High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) Project, providing independent advice and expert review of current project progress, analysis of key risks and issues, and sharing of international best practice. The project includes design, manufacture and commissioning of 65 new HCMTs via a public-private partnership agreement.

Melbourne, Australia

Suburban rail loop authority

Suburban rail loop

Expert advisory services to Suburban Rail Loop Authority, in support of PwC (a member of the Professional Advisory Services Panel for the State of Victoria’s Department of Treasury and Finance) for the planning and delivery of the 56-mile Suburban Rail Loop, one of the world’s largest and most ambitious projects, a new orbital rail network that will link Melbourne’s middle suburbs.

Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv metro

Tel Aviv Metro

Strategic consulting services for the Tel Aviv Metro, a three-line underground metro system in the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest ever infrastructure programme.

Lima, Peru

FCDO & Republica del Peru

PMO models for public infrastructure

Expert advice to the Peruvian Ministry of Economy and Finance on the design, development and use of Project Management Offices (PMOs) for public infrastructure programmes in Peru, in partnership with Arup and Mace, funded through the UK’s Prosperity Fund.

Vancouver, Canada

TransLink

Millennium Line UBC Extension

Member of independent Expert Challenge Panel, led by design consultants Arup, to develop initial business case inputs and expert advice for maximising Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities for the extension of TransLink’s SkyTrain Millennium Line from a planned new underground station at Arbutus to the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Toronta, canada

Toronto Pearson & GTAA

Toronto Pearson International airport

Professional consulting services for Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s Toronto Pearson International Airport, in association with Direx Solutions, LCR, MAG and Volterra Partners, for a new Regional Transportation and Passenger Centre, a multi-modal transportation hub and passenger facility to be located at the airport.

San Francisco, USA

HNTB & Bart

New transbay rail crossing

Strategic business planning and advisory services, over a 10-year time frame, as part of an integrated US/UK team (including  InfraStrategies, Network Rail Consulting, Steer, Crossrail International and The Nichols Group) supporting development and delivery partner HNTB of Oakland, California, for a proposed second Transbay Rail Crossing over San Francisco Bay. 

David-John Gibbs

Dr David-John Gibbs

Development Director

Dr David-John (DJ) Gibbs is an expert in digital transformation, innovation management and modular construction. With over 15 years of experience in premier management consultancy and construction contracting, he specialises in both developing and practically implementing digital strategies and innovative methodologies for large-scale infrastructure projects.

Before joining Crossrail International, DJ was a Director and Digital Transformation Lead at Ernst & Young (EY), where he worked closely with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. His role involved advising on digital transformation and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), focusing on areas such as modular construction, connected digital twins, data security and digital roadmaps.

DJ also worked as a Senior Digital Manager at Gammon Construction, a leading contractor in Hong Kong. As part of the leadership team, he was responsible for driving organisational change and ensuring value realisation across the 7,000+ person organisation. He led a team of 10 Digital Engineers who specialised in end-to-end process optimisation, research and development, project setup and implementation, digital standards and audits, as well as company-wide training. His team’s remit included topics such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Common Data Environments (CDE), Digital Twin, reality capture, 4D & 5D, gamification and automation.

Earlier in his career, DJ was an Associate Director at HKA, where he led their global BIM advisory and dispute resolution services. He provided strategic digital advice to governments, public bodies and private sector organisations around the world, whilst also supporting not-for-profit organisations facilitate cross-industry engagement.

DJ holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham and an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) from Loughborough University. His contributions to digital transformation and innovation management have earned him numerous industry awards and he actively presents, peer reviews and publishes in these areas.

Paul Dyson

Paul Dyson

Chief Executive Officer

Paul Dyson is Chief Executive Officer of Crossrail International, responsible to the company’s shareholder, the UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT), for the establishment and running of the specialist transport infrastructure advisory practice.

A chartered civil engineer with over 30 years of experience in global infrastructure, Paul has extensive experience in setting up, running and assuring large-scale, multi-stakeholder infrastructure portfolios, programmes and projects throughout the Americas, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Oceania. More recently, Paul has specialised in providing assurance, transformational change, project management office (PMO), risk, commercial and digital consultancy services.

Prior to joining Crossrail International, Paul was Partner, Global Advisory Board Member and Head of Advisory, Europe for HKA. He also served as Director of Programme Advisory at AECOM, and spent nine years at Turner & Townsend where he established the company’s infrastructure project management business in London and served on the company’s UK Infrastructure Board.

Paul commenced his career at Travers Morgan/Capita Symonds, where he undertook a wide variety of consultancy roles in the infrastructure sector from large-scale water supply and light rail transit (LRT) systems in Malaysia, to advisory roles to funders for PPP deals in the UK, Europe and South Africa.

Paul holds a BEng (with commendation) in Civil Engineering from Sheffield Hallam University and is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Jon Loveday

Jon Loveday

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jon Loveday was appointed Shareholder Director of Crossrail International on 1 March 2024.

A chartered quantity surveyor, Jon has over 35 years of experience in the UK infrastructure sector. In his role as Director of Infrastructure, Enterprise and Growth at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects, he is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction and leadership for the delivery of the Government’s critical projects and programmes, for the departments within the Infrastructure, Enterprise and Growth sector that include BEIS, DIT, FCO, DfID, DfT, MHCLG, DCMS, and DEFRA.

Jon leads a team of Project Delivery Advisers with deep project delivery and technical expertise who work across departments to support their major projects. This team works with departments to focus the input from the IPA to ensure projects are set up for success and to drive improved project delivery.

Prior to joining the IPA, Jon spent ten years in executive roles within the utilities sector for Thames Water, BT Openreach and Clancy. Responsibilities included business strategy, transformation, capital programmes, operations, commercial, international supply chain and logistics. He pioneered long-term collaborative alliance contracts and behavioural procurement techniques, winning national awards as both Client of the Year and Supplier of the Year.

Jon completed the Major Projects Leadership Academy programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, the first government major project leadership programme in the world.

He is also a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Dr Michèle Dix CBE

Non-Executive Director

Dr. Michèle Dix CBE was appointed Non-Executive Director of Crossrail International in February 2018.

A chartered civil engineer, Michèle has 43 years of experience in transport and land use planning, public transport and traffic engineering and research in the UK and overseas, ranging from strategy development to detailed scheme design and implementation.

She is currently Managing Director of Crossrail 2, a proposed new £30bn railway route providing a North-South rail link across London, with responsibility for developing the project and gaining funding and powers for it.

After completing her PhD in transport and land use planning, Michèle started her career at the Greater London Council (GLC) and became a chartered civil engineer through the GLC’s transport planning graduate scheme. She later spent 15 years in the private sector with Halcrow Fox, becoming board director for urban transport.

In 2000, Michèle joined Transport for London (TfL) as co-Director of Congestion Charging, developing, implementing and operating the scheme. She became Managing Director of Planning in 2007 with responsibility for leading on the Mayor of London’s transport strategy for the future transport needs of London, coordinating the implementation of local plans and borough partnerships, and developing major road, rail and environmental scheme initiatives (including the Ultra Low Emission Zone, tram and tube extensions, and Crossrail 2). Michèle left Planning in February 2015 to become Managing Director of Crossrail 2.

Michèle is a visiting professor for University College London (UCL). She is a Board member of the Major Projects Association, a Trustee for the London Transport Museum, and sits on the Executive Board of UITP (International Association of Public Transport), a passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility.

Keith Wallace

CHAIR & NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Keith Wallace was appointed Chairman of Crossrail International in June 2021.

A Chartered Director and Chartered Engineer, Keith has over 40 years of experience in the rail industry, including 20 years’ leadership experience at executive board level.

Keith commenced his career with British Rail as a sponsored student and graduate trainee, where he gained a thorough grounding in railway engineering and operations. He then moved into consultancy before joining what was then Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners as its first rail specialist, rising to become Chief Executive of Scott Wilson Railways and serving on the Executive Committee of Scott Wilson prior to its acquisition by URS Corporation, which in turn was acquired by AECOM.

Keith chaired URS/Scott Wilson’s Crossrail Programme Board overseeing the company’s £70m design contracts on Crossrail, including Paddington and Farringdon Stations, as well as leading multi-disciplinary teams in the planning and design of major rail projects that included the East London Line Extension, Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link and West Coast Route Modernisation (WCRM) in the UK; the Athens Metro Extension in Greece; and the HSL Zuid high-speed railway in The Netherlands. He has visited more than 30 countries on rail business, gaining a keen understanding of differing cultures and practices.

As an independent consultant, Keith performed a Project Representative review, on behalf of the UK Department for Transport, of the proposed £20bn Phase 2 of High Speed 2 (HS2), Europe’s largest infrastructure project. He also served as Programme Director for Govia Thameslink Railway on the Thameslink Project; Managing Director of Serco Caledonian Sleeper; and spent one year as Chairman of Merseyrail (Serco/Abellio JV), adding to his experience and knowledge of railway operations and major rail change programmes.

Keith holds a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where he later served as Member of Court, the University’s governing body, and was a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Royal Society of Arts.

Keith is also a non-executive director of Dublin Bus, a bus operator in Dublin, Ireland; and Scottish Autism, a charity organisation dedicated to enabling autistic people to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

Felipe castro Arenas

Felipe Castro Arenas

Regional Director, Colombia

Felipe Castro Arenas is Crossrail International’s (CI’s) Country Director for Colombia. Based in Bogotá, he is responsible for the management of CI’s commissions and the creation of new business opportunities throughout the country, as well as the Latin American region.

Felipe has 20 years of experience in the engineering and construction industries, with recent focus on the development of Colombia’s road and rail infrastructure. Prior to joining CI in April 2023, he spent five years at the British Embassy Colombia in Bogotá as Infrastructure Adviser for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s UK-Colombia Prosperity Programme to support economic development, unlock economic opportunities, and drive growth in Colombia’s regions. Felipe was responsible for delivering the programme’s objectives around rail and urban development in Colombia, managing agreements with development banks, implementing partners, and leading the adaptation and adoption of UK tools for quality infrastructure development, including BIM (Building Information Modelling), HM Treasury’s Five Case Model (for Business Cases), and the Infrastructure and Project Authority’s (IPA’s) Project Routemap for complex, major projects.

Since the passing of Law 1508 in 2012, Colombia’s first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) law, Felipe has specialised in the technical, financial and legal assessment of infrastructure projects for attracting private investment. As Technical Adviser at Colombia’s National Infrastructure Agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI), he successfully led the appraisals and approvals processes of the first unsolicited PPP proposals under the new law. These included two of the most complex 30+ years highway concessions crossing the Andes Mountains – between Bogotá and Villavicencio, and Ibagué and Cajamarca – which paved the way for these types of schemes to represent almost a third of the portfolio of the country’s transformational Fourth Generation (4G) Roads Concession Programme, a large-scale plan to create a nationwide toll road network with private sector participation.

Earlier in his career, Felipe spent time with a variety of Colombian contracting and manufacturing firms, specialising in innovative civil/structural engineering and construction of buildings and infrastructure.

He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from the Julio Garavito School of Engineering (Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería ‘Julio Garavito’) in Bogotá and an MSc in Construction Management and Engineering from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. In 2013, selected by the US Embassy in Bogotá, Felipe completed the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), a professional exchange program funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Simon Bennett

Simon Bennett

Associate Director and Expert Adviser, Learning Legacy

Simon Bennett is an expert in stakeholder engagement and consultation on major transport infrastructure projects with over 25 years of experience in the UK rail sector. A civil engineer, transport planner and communications professional, he has been involved in the development and delivery of Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure project, for more than 20 years, from early programme initiation and construction, through to the capture of lessons learned.

Simon worked on the original 1990s Crossrail scheme for London Underground. In 2000, he was seconded from Transport for London (TfL) to Cross London Rail Links to work on developing the project and securing powers. During the hybrid parliamentary bill process, Simon led and managed the Consultation team, which later became the Petitions Negotiation team, and was key to obtaining authorisation for the project, overseeing negotiations and managing the bill and petition handling and response processes.

During the construction phase of the project, Simon was Head of Stakeholder Management, later being appointed Programme Community Relations Manager. In 2015, he was appointed to lead the team responsible for the collation and dissemination of good practice, innovation and lessons learned from the Crossrail project, aimed at raising the bar in industry and showcasing UK PLC.

Simon holds a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and a Graduate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Simon is also an accredited High Risk Review Team Member for the UK Government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), participating in the assurance of complex, high risk Government programmes and projects and challenging deliverability, affordability and value for money.

Victoria Drakeford

Business Manager

Victoria Drakeford is Business Manager for Crossrail International, responsible for providing a wide range of business management, marketing, business development and administrative support to the CI team.

She has over 14 years of personal/executive assistant, secretarial and administrative supervisory management experience gained across a variety of global industry sectors, including construction and engineering, urban regeneration, property and real estate, and media and broadcasting.

Prior to joining Crossrail International, Victoria worked on several projects for theatre, film and television taking time out to complete a Masters in Screenwriting for Film and Television. She had previously served as PA to the Head of Property Management at Landsec, the UK’s largest commercial property development and investment company, where she managed a team of nine secretaries.

During her career, Victoria has also worked for some of the UK’s leading project management, contracting and consultancy firms, including Laing O’Rourke, where she was Executive Assistant for the company’s Engineering Excellence Group; Turner & Townsend, where she provided support to the Director of Project Management as well as managing a team of 25 PA/Team Secretaries; and AECOM, where she was Secretary to four of the company’s partners.

Victoria holds an MA in Screenwriting for Film and Television (with Merit) from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a BA (Hons) in English and American Literature from The University of Kent.

Steve Long

Steve Long

Associate Director

Steve Long is an Associate Director at Crossrail International, responsible for new business in Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC), notably rail markets in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru. He also provides a range of marketing, communications and business development support to the CI team.

Steve has five years of experience in international markets, ranging from transport and logistics to rail infrastructure and aviation. He spent three years as Conference Producer with global events company Terrapinn. During this time, Steve led the growth of RAIL LIVE!, one of the world’s leading rail events, hosted annually in Spain. His extensive stakeholder network throughout Latin America, the UK, Europe and Asia includes government officials and agencies, transport operators, contractors, consultants and industry media.

Steve is tri-lingual, speaking fluent English, French and Spanish. He also has an intermediate knowledge of Portuguese and Welsh and is currently studying Arabic. Steve has also lived and worked in Chile, France and Taiwan.

He holds a BA (Hons) in French, Spanish and European Studies from the University of Bath. Steve also completed a nine-month international exchange programme at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, in Santiago, Chile, one of the most recognised educational institutions in Latin America.

Kate Myres

Kate Myers

Director and Expert Adviser, Capacity Building

Kate Myers is an expert in capacity building, skills employment and education, and social impact. She has over 20 years’ experience in UK government and major rail projects, including stakeholder relations, communications, delivery, policy and strategy.

Prior to joining Crossrail International in November 2021, Kate was Head of Skills, Employment & Education (SEE) at High Speed 2 Ltd, the company responsible for the delivery of HS2, the UK’s new high-speed railway linking London, the Midlands, the North and Scotland, currently Europe’s largest infrastructure project. During her five-and-a-half years on the project, she was responsible for delivering the objectives of the SEE Strategy, ensuring the supply chain met skills and employment requirements, tackling critical skills shortages and leading the HS2 Education programme.

Kate extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in the rail infrastructure sector includes seven years at Crossrail where she led the Young Crossrail STEM programme, established and chaired an industry-wide Transport and Infrastructure Education Partnership, developed a suite of training programmes to drive forward Crossrail’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agenda, and devised and launched the Crossrail Apprentice Awards.

She had previously served as Crossrail’s Marketing and Communications Manager (Skills), working closely with the Chairman (Sir Terry Morgan CBE), as well as with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) as joint sponsors. Kate produced the Crossrail Skills and Employment Strategy and chaired the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) Communications Steering Group.

Prior to joining HS2, Kate was seconded to the DfT as a Senior Policy Advisor where she was a key member of the pan-industry team created to deliver the DfT’s Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (TISS). She has also worked for Transport for London (TfL) and held a number of positions in the civil service.

Kate holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. She later went on to gain an MA in Social and Cultural History from the University of Essex before completing a Crossrail-sponsored Executive MBA at London Business School, focused on Leadership and Management, Influencing and Negotiation, and Behavioural Economics.

David Miller

David Miller

Operations Director

David Miller is Operations Director for Crossrail International (CI), responsible for ensuring the operational performance of the company as well as leading CI’s governance framework and relationship with the Department for Transport (DfT) shareholder. He has 14 years’ experience working in UK central government, during which time he has held a series of policy and strategy roles covering differing portfolios and policy areas, all aimed at generating the greatest economic benefit for the UK.

Prior to joining CI, David was Senior Policy Adviser, Export and Investment Policy, at the Department for International Trade (DIT) where he delivered a major government strategy and series of programmes defining the UK’s future approach to exports. He also took the lead for Northern Ireland exports and investment, managing DIT relationships with the Northern Ireland Executive and Invest Northern Ireland, the country’s regional economic development agency.

In 2013, David joined the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop the growth and regeneration programme for High Speed 2 (HS2) – the UK’s new 345-mile, high speed railway line under development, which will run between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds – to secure wider benefits from this major infrastructure investment. Having established and managed the secretariat functions for the Taskforce report and produced the government’s response, David led policy development and business case production to establish a government-owned regeneration company.

As a member of DfT’s Maritime team, he managed the successful production, launch and implementation of the Maritime Growth Study report in relation to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an executive agency of the DfT responsible for preventing the loss of lives at sea and for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.
David commenced his career in the civil service with the National Offender Management Service (now Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service) at the Ministry of Justice. He spent seven years with the Ministry, initially as a Safer Custody Officer and later as an Estate Integration Programme Officer, supporting the delivery of the Ministry’s Estates strategy.

David holds a BA in History from the University of Lancaster.

Mark lench

Mark Lench

Development Director

Mark Lench is Crossrail International’s Development Director, responsible for development of new business, stakeholder management, marketing and communications. He is an expert in corporate brand, marketing and communications (BMC) with over 35 years of international experience working at partner, vice president, director and operations management board level for leading professional services consultants and contractors serving a wide range of market sectors, including airports, tunnels, rail and highways.

Mark has created, led and delivered brand, marketing and stakeholder engagement strategies, campaigns and communications programmes at government, corporate, executive, director and senior management levels to over 30 UK and international clients as an expert adviser and consultant. As Development Director for Crossrail International, he has been instrumental in positioning and promoting the company’s unique service proposition and experience portfolio enabling clients around the world greater access to the significant knowledge and expertise, innovations, good practice and lessons learned from Crossrail, one of the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken.

His specialist fields of expertise include the development and implementation of strategic marketing and stakeholder engagement plans, communications strategies (including PR and media relations), design and production of marketing and publicity materials, delivering and facilitating events (conferences, exhibitions, workshops, seminars), digital marketing campaigns, key client account management, coaching and mentoring.

Mark has performed BMC and stakeholder engagement activities in 47 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Oceania, gaining high levels of cultural awareness, and has participated in over 300 leading industry events worldwide. He has hosted royalty, world leaders, life peers, politicians, industrialists, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Government representatives around the world, and has participated in many high-level trade missions.

Mark holds a BSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering and a Diploma in Industrial Studies from Loughborough University.

Achila Mazini

Achila Mazini

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Achila Mazini is an Associate Director at Crossrail International. She joined the organisation from the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education, where she worked as an Industrial Fellow. Achila is finalising her PhD, focuses on improving testing and verification methods for modern railway systems, including moving block signaling and digital rail innovations, and brings a blend of academic rigour and industry experience to the role.

She has over 12 years of international experience in the rail industry, combining strong technical expertise with a track record in strategic project management and stakeholder engagement. Following her move to the UK in August 2018 from her native Brazil, Achila spent six years at the University, where she contributed to major research and innovation projects and successfully secured funding for several national and international initiatives. Her work has involved close collaboration with industry, academia, and government agencies across Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Achila commenced her career as an engineering graduate at freight rail company MRS Logistica S.A., in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, where she was involved in the successful implementation of a full Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system across the country’s Southeast Regional Network. She later joined rail technology specialists Wabtec as a System Integration Analyst, where she supported the development of a modular System Integration Laboratory for testing advanced train control systems, prior to moving to the UK to further her studies.

In her new role, Achila will report to Mark, providing support to CI’s marketing and business development activities, as well as working closely with CI’s relevant subject-matter experts. She will also provide valuable support to our work in Brazil where CI is about to embark on a three-year research programme in association with the University of Birmingham. The programme aims to replicate the UK’s innovation model in international markets, combining academia and the rail industry.

Achila holds a BEng in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil. She later completed an Associate Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Queen Mary University of London and is currently finalising her PhD in Railway Systems.

Bogota, Columbia

Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) 

La dorada-Chiriguana freight corridor

Expert advisory services, as part of the UK Government’s Global Infrastructure Prosperity Fund Programme, for a pilot application of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) Project Initiation Routemap to Colombia’s La Dorada-Chiriguaná Freight Corridor project, (performed via ‘virtual’ workshops involving key project stakeholders).

Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

The World bank  & PwC Indonesia

Bandung Mass transit project

Business Case development and a Project Capability Review  for the proposed Leuwipanjang-Tegalluar Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Line in Bandung, the first phase of the West Java Railway Master Plan. 

Nairobi, Kenya

Railways Corporation (KRC) 

Freight Revenue Enhancement programme

The programme aimed to support the increase freight capacity on spur, branch and main lines to Nanyuki, Kisumu and Malaba, deliver efficiency improvements to KRC’s operations and provide additional revenues to the National Treasury.

Melbourne, Australia

Rail Project Victoria

Rolling Stock peer review

Member of Peer Review Group for Melbourne’s High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) Project, providing independent advice and expert review of current project progress, analysis of key risks and issues, and sharing of international best practice. The project includes design, manufacture and commissioning of 65 new HCMTs
via a public-private partnership agreement.

Melbourne, Australia

Suburban rail loop authority

Suburban rail loop

Expert advisory services to Suburban Rail Loop Authority, in support of PwC (a member of the Professional Advisory Services Panel for the State of Victoria’s Department of Treasury and Finance) for the planning and delivery of the 56-mile Suburban Rail Loop, one of the world’s largest and most ambitious projects, a new orbital rail network that will link Melbourne’s middle suburbs.

Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv metro

Tel Aviv Metro

Strategic consulting services for the Tel Aviv Metro, a three-line underground metro system in the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest ever infrastructure programme.

Lima, Peru

FCDO & Republica del Peru

PMO models for public infrastructure

Expert advice to the Peruvian Ministry of Economy and Finance on the design, development and use of Project Management Offices (PMOs) for public infrastructure programmes in Peru, in partnership with Arup and Mace, funded through the UK’s Prosperity Fund.

Vancouver, Canada

Translink

Translink skytrain extension

Member of independent Expert Challenge Panel, led by design consultants Arup, to develop initial business case inputs and expert advice for maximising Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities for the extension of TransLink’s Skytrain Millennium Line from a planned new underground station at Arbutus to the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Toronta, canada

Toronto Pearson & GTAA

Toronto Pearson International airport

Professional consulting services for Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s Toronto Pearson International Airport, in association with Direx Solutions, LCR, MAG and Volterra Partners, for a new Regional Transportation and Passenger Centre, a multi-modal transportation hub and passenger facility to be located at the airport.

San Francisco, USA

HNTB & Bart

New transbay rail crossing

Strategic business planning and advisory services, over a 10-year time frame, as part of an integrated US/UK team (including  InfraStrategies, Network Rail Consulting, Steer, Crossrail International and The Nichols Group) supporting development and delivery partner HNTB of Oakland, California, for a proposed second Transbay Rail Crossing over San Francisco Bay. 

Los Angeles, USA

California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)

California High-Speed rail

Financial advisory services to California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), supporting KPMG in its successful rebid for a four-year framework, sharing lessons learned,  international benchmarking and UK good practice for the 800-mile high speed railway which will connect eight of the 10 largest cities in California.