Transport professionals recognised in New Year Honours list

GWR’s Ruth Busby been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for her work as a champion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the rail industry.

For the past year she has been People and Transformation Director (Regional) at GWR and Network Rail Wales and Western. Before taking the role, Busby spent nearly five years as HR Director at GWR.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood CBE said: “Ruth joined the railway industry with an impressive CV five years ago and it’s been a pleasure to work with her since then. She quickly assimilated the key issues facing the industry and has been able to work successfully on delivering an agenda of change to help us to address the challenges of the future through our people.”

Busby said: “The work that I and my brilliant teams have been doing has aimed to create greater equity and workforce diversity, so that we’re more representative of the communities we serve and have an environment where everyone can flourish.”

Another transport professionals to be honoured include John Trayner, former Managing Director at Go-Ahead London, who was awarded an OBE for services to transport, skills and education.

Trayner was at the helm of operations in the capital from 2006 to 2022 before taking up the post of Managing Director, Regulated Bus, for Go-Ahead from January-December 2023. He remains a senior advisor to the Go-Ahead Group.

Other honours recipients from the transport world include Munir Patel, Chief Executive Officer, XRAIL Group, awarded an OBE for services to rail exports and Mubarak Mahmed, Wellbeing and Engagement Coordinator at First North and West Yorkshire, who was awarded a BEM for services to mental health.