RFG appoints four new members to its Board
Rail Freight Group (RFG) is pleased to announce that it has appointed four new members to its Board, further expanding its depth of industry knowledge and expertise.
The new appointments are:
- John Bailey, Managing Director – Intermodal, Maritime Transport
- Lydia Cullimore, Partner, Burges Salmon
- Steve Freeman, Chair, RailX
- Mark Hooper, Director of Rail & Containers, Solent Stevedores
They were each voted in at the Group’s Annual General Meeting held on 13 November at the Port of Middlesbrough. The new board members come from within the RFG membership and are experts in their fields.
John Bailey
John Bailey joined Maritime Transport in 2001 from Securicor and held various operational roles before his appointment to Managing Director – Intermodal in 2020. With over 30 years of logistics experience, John has been instrumental in advancing Maritime’s strategic expansion across the UK’s intermodal sector, overseeing the development of new rail terminals and services to drive modal shift and offer increased resource to businesses nationwide. Under John’s direction, Maritime has quickly emerged as the UK’s leading provider of integrated road and rail freight logistics, committed to operating the cleanest, most sustainable full-load supply chain in the country.
John said: “I am honoured to be appointed to the RFG Board. The organisation is at the forefront of campaigning for growth and greater efficiency in rail freight, which aligns with Maritime’s ambitions to accelerate modal shift in the UK. I am excited to lend my expertise to help the RFG continue its vital work in driving our industry towards a more sustainable future.”
Lydia Cullimore
Lydia Cullimore is a partner in the Transport sector group at independent UK law firm Burges Salmon. With over 15 years of experience advising clients across the sector, including those operating in the rail freight industry, Lydia specialises in commercial and regulatory law. Her track record includes advising clients on high-value commercial contracts, infrastructure development projects, funding arrangements, access issues and rail regulatory compliance. Her understanding of the relevant regulatory frameworks, practical constraints, and her pragmatic approach allows her to collaborate with clients effectively, enabling the delivery of large-scale projects with a national significance.
Lydia said: “I am delighted to join the board of the Rail Freight Group alongside Mark, John, and Steve. Modal shift to rail freight is key to decarbonisation and I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the RFG team and its members to support the sustainable growth of rail freight across the UK.”
Steve Freeman
Steve is an experienced company director with 50 years in the global railway industry. He has a strong background in railway operations, business and operational start-up, business development, leadership and project delivery. A strategic thinker and influencer with strong interpersonal skills, he has a proven record of success and achievement in the global rail arena and has operated at all levels, in both public and private sectors. As Chairman and Co-Owner of RailX (Eco2holdings Group of Companies) Steve has been directly involved in the development of a digital platform and a train booking app, (RailX), which is successfully booking spare capacity on UK container services, providing unparalleled access to intermodal rail across the UK.
On his appointment, Steve said: “It is an honour to be joining the board of the RFG at a time of great change and opportunity in the UK rail freight sector. I look forward to playing my part in helping the RFG to continue to lead the way in helping the industry to grow to its full capability and potential.”
Mark Hooper
Mark Hooper is the Director of Rail and Containers for Solent Stevedores, responsible for accelerating the continued growth of the newly expanded rail offering at the Port of Southampton and further strengthening the established empty container handling facility in London Gateway.
Mark has over 30 years of industry experience prior to joining Solent Stevedores in March 2024. He worked his way up from transport planning to Senior Intermodal Manager at Mitsui OSK Lines, where he spent 15 years. He then joined DP World as Operations Manager, then Head of Operations, and finally Director of Business Development.
Mark said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Board of the Rail Freight Group. The industry as a whole is making great strides towards reaching a Net Zero target by moving more cargo onto rail and I’m pleased to represent Solent Stevedores who are a key player in this field. By joining the RFG’s Board I hope to support the RFG with its continued push towards a more sustainable growth.”
Commenting on the appointments, Maggie Simpson, RFG Director General, added: “I’d like to welcome each of our new Board members. It is fantastic to have such a diverse group of rail experts from right across the sector supporting our business. Working together, under our re-elected Chair Chris Swan and Vice Chair Geoff Lippitt, we will continue to make the case for rail freight growth and work to ensure we deliver for all of our members through our policy work, events and advocacy.”
-ends-