GWR and Network Rail unite leadership at London Paddington under new integrated role

Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail have taken a further step towards closer collaboration by bringing the management of London Paddington station under a single leadership structure.

A new role of Integrated Station Lead has been created, with Lauren Clancy appointed to oversee operations across both organisations. The move is part of wider efforts to align track and train functions more closely, with a focus on improving the passenger experience.

The appointment reflects ongoing collaboration between GWR and Network Rail, as the rail industry continues to evolve towards greater integration and eventual public ownership.

Over the past year, the two organisations have already combined key functions, including control operations, route strategy and access planning teams. These developments build on a long-standing alliance agreement first established in 2016.

London Paddington—one of the UK’s busiest stations—will be the first Network Rail-managed station to adopt this integrated leadership model. In her new role, Clancy will take responsibility for overseeing station operations at the major terminus.

She brings extensive experience, having previously managed major stations including Stratford, Ebbsfleet and St Pancras International. More recently, she has led integration programmes across the Anglia route, working with Network Rail, c2c, Greater Anglia and Transport for London.

Clancy said she was looking forward to returning to a station environment and playing a key role in delivering a more joined-up railway, describing it as an exciting period of change for the industry.

In her new position, she will report jointly to GWR’s Head of Stations, James Adeshiyan, and Network Rail Western’s Head of Passenger Strategy, Susan Evans.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said the move would help simplify structures, improve efficiency and strengthen the focus on customers, while also creating opportunities to make better use of station space.

He added that meaningful change can be delivered now, without waiting for wider structural reforms such as Great British Railways.

Susan Evans of Network Rail said the integrated approach would remove organisational barriers and enable a more effective and passenger-focused operation at Paddington, particularly as demand continues to grow following the introduction of the Elizabeth line.