Two years before Mayor Steve Rotheram takes full control of services to stop the £250m shareholder gravy train, Merseyrail appoints a new interim managing director. Tony McDonough reports
Merseyrail has appointed Suzanne Grant as its new interim managing director.
Suzanne steps up from the deputy MD role to replace Neil Grabham, who is to undertake an interim assignment as managing director at East Midlands Railway. She has been with the business for more than a decade.
After joining Merseyrail as marketing manager in 2012, Suzanne has since held a number of senior roles, including commercial director, before becoming chief commercial officer and deputy managing Director in 2024.
She takes the helm just two years ahead of the biggest shake-up of the service for a quarter of a century. In 2028 the current commercial franchise comes to an end and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will take full control of services.
Known as Merseyrail Electrics 2002, the company has two shareholders – Serco Group and Transport UK. The latter business was created in August 2022 following a UK-led management buyout of Abellio, the overseas division of Netherlands Railways.
When the current 25-year concession comes to an end it is likely shareholders will have pocketed more than £250m in dividends. Mayor Steve Rotheram has vowed to end the gravy train and says pricing will be set to benefit passengers not shareholders.
He told the Liverpool Echo this week: “It goes even a step further than the franchise model with the buses because it’s public ownership of everything.
“The trains are really, really good but the infrastructure has been neglected for decades, so it’s the infrastructure we’re trying to improve alongside taking things back.”
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During her time at Merseyrail. She has also worked closely with colleagues at the Combined Authority on the launch of Tap & Go across the city region.
“This is a business I care deeply about, and I know how much pride our colleagues take in delivering a railway that matters to the communities we serve,” she said.
“My focus for the next eight months will be on providing stability and continuity for our people, our passengers and our partners, while continuing to build on the progress already being made across the network.”