Lord Hendy appointed minister of state at DfT

Transport heavyweight Lord Peter Hendy has been appointed as a minister of state in the new government.

At the time of his appointment, Lord Hendy was chair of rail infrastructure operator Network Rail.

Peter Hendy pictured last year

He was London’s Transport Commissioner for nine years, before being appointed as chair of Network Rail in 2015 following financial difficulties over its 2014-19 investment programme.

In November 2015, he published a report to the then transport secretary – known as the Hendy Review – on how Network Rail intended to replan its investment programme.

Only last June (2023), he was reappointed to chair Network Rail for a further two years, including overseeing its part in the transition to Great British Railways.

Lord Hendy also led the Union Connectivity Review in 2021, which explored ways in which transport could better connect the UK.

He was awarded a CBE in 2006 for services to public transport and knighted in the 2013 New Year’s Honours list.

In November 2022, he received a life peerage as Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, sitting as a crossbench peer.

At the time of writing, transport secretary Louise Haigh was the only other minister in the Department for Transport and Lord Hendy’s area responsibility had not yet been announced.