Midlands Area Council Members

Colin Robey MIRO: Area Chairman

E-mail: colinrobey@centro.org.uk

Colin’s railway career spans five decades (soon to be six), having started in 1965 as a London Midland booking clerk for British Rail. He then went on to fulfill numerous roles at area and regional level, with positions including Development Manager with Provincial Railways, Profit Centre Manager - Cross Country and Anglia, Investment Manager For Regional Railways Central and finally Route Manager - Cross Country and East Midlands. Upon leaving BR, he joined Centro (the former West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive – now Integrated Transport Authority) to help implement the processes to manage the then ‘new’ Central Trains franchise. In addition, Colin was involved with the Midland Metro tramway, serving as Assistant Director, Metro Operations. In his current role as Centro’s Head of Operations - Rail and Rapid Transit, managing the Midland Metro Concession, Colin also manages the relationship with the local franchise holder, London Midland.  Colin has enjoyed a long involvement with the IRO Midland Area Council and played a direct role in the creation of the Professional Development Programme (PDP), having worked on the modules for the Associate and Membership courses, which were later to form the basis of the IRO Diploma and Degree courses (both part of the PDP). Commenting on his role as Chairman of the Midland Area Council, Colin said: “I have the support of a wonderful group of people on the Area Council who are keen to see the Institution develop in a way that serves all members of the railway operating community.”

Tom Birch FIRO: Council member

E-mail: tom.birch@chilternrailways.co.uk

A founding Board member of the IRO (and a member of the Midlands Area Council since its inception), Tom was the first Chairman of the Education Committee from 2000 to 2006, during which time the IRO’s Award-winning education programme was devised, implemented and academically accredited. Tom joined British Rail in 1974, later becoming a BR Traffic Management Trainee. Operating supervisory management posts followed at Northwich and Bescot. Following a secondment to the London Midland General Manager's Office at Euston, he also held operating line management posts at Watford Junction, Orpington and Area Manager St Pancras, becoming Current Operations Manager for the Western Region in 1989. The posts of Area Manager, Welsh Freight, in Cardiff and Operations Director, Transrail Freight followed, with the advent of privatization seeing Tom become Operations Safety & Standards Manager for EWS. In 1999 he joined GTRM as Chief Controller, before moving to Network Rail to become Safety Leadership Manager in 2003, Area General Manager East Midlands in 2006 and Route Programme Manager (LNE) in 2008. This year (2010) has seen Tom join Chiltern Railways/DB Regio UK as Operations Director (Projects). 

Peter Bowes MIRO: Council Member

E-mail: peter.bowes@virgintrains.co.uk

A career railway man since 1981, Peter has been Virgin Trains Safety and Environment Director since 2007. Prior to this, he has held numerous safety, operational and customer service management and front line posts with Virgin, Intercity and British Rail and is currently Project Sponsor for the innovative programme to develop and issue Virgin Trains’ drivers with PDA’s. Other achievements Peter takes pride in include his role in the operational design and implementation of new trains, directing operations training and assessment programmes and playing a lead role in the cross industry development of rules and procedures for the operation and implementation of tilting trains. Peter is also studying at post graduate level leading to an MSc in Health, Safety and Environmental Management. 

Doug McLellan MIRO: Area Treasurer

E-mail: douglas.mclellan@londonmidland.com

Douglas started his railway career in the Parcels Office at Glasgow Central in 1982. He worked in South Wales before moving to the Midlands and has undertaken a variety of roles in Freight and Passenger operations including Operating Standards, Station Management, Control, Safety and Customer Relations, he is currently Lead Conductor Manager, West Midlands at London Midland. Having had the opportunity to work in different disciplines Douglas in keen to ensure knowledge and understanding is shared within the industry and that the profession of the railway operator is fully recognised. Douglas is also a member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Mike Christelow MIRO: Council Member

E-mail: mike.christelow@networkrail.co.uk

Mike first joined the rail industry in 1980, gaining experience in a variety of operational areas, including the then LMR Regional Control at Crewe, station operations at St Pancras and Birmingham New Street, passenger operations with Regional Railways and freight operations with Freightliner. Mike’s present role is Client Services Manager looking after the provision of day-to-day information management services to Network Rail’s Operations and Customer Service business. Mike is an IRO Member and joined the Midlands Area Council in 2008. He is also an associate of the IRSE. 

Julia Stanyard: Area Secretary

E-mail: julia.stanyard@networkrail.co.uk

Julia first joined the rail industry in 1996 as a team organiser for Chiltern Railways, before joining Railtrack as a member of the Corporate Affairs Team in the then Midlands Zone. Following a variety of further roles within Network Rail, Julia is currently the Customer Manager for Chiltern Railways and Wrexham & Shropshire Railways. She has been a member of the IRO and the Midlands Area Council since 2003 and has been the secretary for the Midlands Area Council since 2006.