4 months ago
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Image source, Network Rail
Michelle Handforth was in charge of Network Rail’s Wales and Western Region
By Vivienne Nunis
Business reporter, BBC News
A Network Rail manager has resigned days after passengers in West London were trapped for hours in the dark.
Michelle Handforth, managing director for the Wales and Western region - which includes Paddington - stepped down on Friday, Network Rail confirmed.
She was paid a salary of £330,000 and commuted to work from Aberdeen.
A rail insider said Ms Handforth had chosen to resign of her own accord after recognising the challenges of the role.
Earlier this month, passengers were stuck in cold and dark carriages for hours when overhead electric cables were damaged in Ladbroke Grove.
Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express trains were all affected, with some passengers trapped for more than three hours with no access to toilets.
Multiple rail system faults and damaged rails had caused problems on Paddington services in the weeks before the incident.
Ms Handforth had been in the role for three-and-a-half years.
Before joining Network Rail, she was chief executive officer for the Port of Aberdeen.
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), urged Network Rail needed to invest properly "in the maintenance of its infrastructure", saying delays to repairs and maintenance caused cancellations and increased safety risks.
