Does he have the biggest job on the railway? Network Rail’s CEO Jeremy Westlake in the Hot Seat

Network Rail is pivotal to whether GBR is a success or not. The reality will always be that Network Rail, with its resources, people, assets and role drives pretty much whether the railway performs day to day both now and in the future.

Jeremy Westlake is the CEO. In taking over from Andrew Haines he stepped out of the relative shadow of Chief Financial Officer role into the full glare of the top job. Does he have what it takes to make the transition? And does he have the vision to take Network Rail forward into a future that involves it transferring into Great British Railways whilst at the same making sure it performs?

We spoke with Jeremy about those questions and many more in this extremely candid and comprehensive interview.

Note - the interview was recorded on Thursday, 26th March 2026 so the dates of some of the events Jeremy refers to in the discussion should be seen in that context.

Subscribe: If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. Better still, hit that subscribe button. It supports the channel and means you'll be notified whenever we publish something new.

Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the channel further too.
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals/join
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/GreenSignals

Green Signals:
Website - http://www.greensignals.org
Shop - http://greensignals.etsy.com
Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list

Follow:
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/greensignallers
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd
Instagram - https://instagram.com/greensignallers

Credits:
Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)

Important Notes:

The views and opinions expressed by any guests or interviewees on this channel / podcast are strictly their own and should not be assumed to reflect those of the hosts, the management or the Directors of Green Signals Productions Limited.

The Green Signals podcast should not be considered professional advice, and listeners should consult appropriate and qualified professionals for advice tailored to their specific needs.

The Green Signals podcast and YouTube channel is provided ‘as is’ and the information provided on the podcast may not be accurate or complete. None of Green Signals Productions Limited, its Directors, hosts or management are liable for any claims or damages in any form arising from the use of or reliance on any statement, advertisement, product, service mentioned or any discussion about any matter.

None of Green Signals Productions Limited, its Directors, its hosts or its management are responsible for or any liability in respect of any third party advertiser content, claims or representations. The views, opinions or claims of any advertiser or commercial third party that may from time to time appear on, or be referenced by us, in any of our podcast shows or videos should not be taken to reflect our own views or opinions in any way.

All copyright in the original content created by Green Signals Productions Limited and published on the podcast and the YouTube channel is owned by Green Signals Productions Limited and must not be used or reproduced without written consent.

You can check our Privacy Policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/privacy-policy/