Network Rail supervisor quits in wake of Elizabeth Line chaos
A Network Rail boss has resigned after the Elizabeth Line was left in disarray with 1000’s of passengers, together with celebrities James Blunt and Rachel Riley, stranded on chilly, darkish trains for hours.
Michelle Handforth, managing director for the Wales and Western area together with Paddington, stepped down on Friday however had handed her resignation in earlier than the dewirement on December 7, the practice firm mentioned
The chief, who earned a wage of £330,000, joined the corporate in August 2020 and commuted from Aberdeen. She will proceed to work on ‘particular tasks’ till her successor is appointed.
The shock announcement comes simply weeks after passengers had been left stranded on the Elizabeth Line, Greater Western Railway and Heathrow Express on December 7.
Some offended passengers had been caught for 3 hours with no entry of bathrooms or data from operators, main some to develop into ‘agitated’ and begin ‘kicking down doorways’.
Michelle Handforth, managing director for the Wales and Western area together with Paddington, stepped down on Friday
Passengers stroll alongside the tracks after being let off the Elizabeth line practice on December 7
People climb down onto the tracks close to Paddington after being stranded on a practice on December 7
Those on the trains needed to wait till police began evacuating carriages, with some passengers resorting to forcing the doorways open and ‘self evacuating’ earlier than emergency companies had arrived.
Dramatic footage from the evening confirmed passengers carrying heavy suitcases throughout freezing railway tracks within the pitch black darkish as they ultimately disembarked and headed in the direction of Paddington.
Two folks had been injured through the chaos whereas some missed their flights dwelling for Christmas from Heathrow. Other passengers had been additionally hit with a overcharge fare by TfL as a result of they’d exceeded its ‘most journey time’ whereas caught on the practice.
There had been even reviews of sexual touching, with a police officer telling a passenger: ‘Unfortunately we’ve had a couple of incidents.
‘We’ve had one arrest of sexual touching and issues like that. So issues have taken longer than presumably what they need to have carried out as a result of somebody determined that they needed to the touch somebody up.’
The delays had been blamed on rail system defects and broken rails that had brought on issues with trains heading out and in of Paddington.
Countdown’s Rachel Riley was amongst these caught on the tube line, posting a selfie of her and different passengers smiling on board captioned: ‘Nearly 4 hours after we acquired on, we’re getting off the Elizabeth line, woohoo!’
Countdown’s Rachel Riley was a type of caught on board the practice from 6pm on December 7
The energy failure meant the lights went off inside trains whereas the heating additionally couldn’t work
Passengers begin making the lengthy stroll again within the chilly to Paddington on December 7
Ms Handforth earned a wage of £330,000, joined the corporate in August 2020 and commuted from Aberdeen
Among these trapped was singer James Blunt, who mentioned: ‘Been caught someplace outdoors Paddington for near 4 hours now. Out of peanuts and wine.’
While the Elizabeth line, which makes use of the mainline rail infrastructure west of Paddington, solely opened in May 2022, it has repeatedly been hit by faults, with 4 broken rails found in eight days final month.
In a letter to Network Rail employees, Ms Handforth, based on Sky: ‘It’s been an actual privilege to work with you all via the highs and lows of the previous couple of years, and whereas this choice is an actual wrench to me, I imagine it’s the proper one for me, my household and the enterprise.
‘It has been such an honour to steer this area since becoming a member of the enterprise in August 2020. Over that point we’ve confronted an unimaginable vary of challenges, however your help, friendship and good humour has been constant all through.
‘I’m extraordinarily happy with the achievements we’ve made collectively and whereas occasions really feel powerful proper now, I do know {that a} vibrant future for Wales and Western lies forward.’
Andrew Haines, chief government Network Rail, advised MailOnline: ‘I want to thank Michelle for her arduous work and help over these previous three and a half years.’
