Lawrie Hall: Area Chairman
E-mail: lorryandvan@goatcott.plus.com

Lawrie is a founder member of the IRO and has over 40 years experience of railway operations in the UK and Australia, both at a local and strategic level. His recent posts included Railtrack/Network Rail Production Manager at Bristol and Cardiff. Before retiring from full-time employment in 2004, he was Regional Operations Standards Manager at Swindon. Now employed as a Principal Consultant by Lloyds Register Rail, Lawrie spends most of his time in signalling development, signal sighting, risk-assessment and training. For the last three years, he has been the Area Chair representative on the IRO Board.

Colin Stanaway: Treasurer
E-mail: colin.stanaway@networkrail.co.uk

Colin has worked in the rail industry for 35 years, mainly based in the Western sector covering various operating roles, including Powerbox Supervisor, HQ Signalling and Safety Inspector and Signalling Manager. He has also gained considerable experience in the areas of maintenance and major projects, with posts including Assistant Contracts Manager, Infrastructure Trains Manager, Assistant Project Manager - Cross Country Upgrade Programme, Rail Delivery Manager and Maintenance Project Manager. Colin returned to the operations fraternity in recent years as Senior Signalling Inspector and latterly as an Operations Risk Advisor. Colin has been a member of the IRO since its inception and a part of the South West Area Council for four years.

Martin Bonnington: Council Member
E-mail: Martin.Bonnington@firstgroup.com

Martin is employed by First Great Western as a Duty Station Manager at Bristol Temple Meads, having first joined the rail industry in 2007 as a management trainee on the FirstGroup Operations Management Training Scheme. He has since progressed to a number of project management roles within the company, including the introduction of loco hauled services and the development of the 2009/10 Joint Performance Improvement Plan. Following this, he was promoted to Area Operations Manager in the Westbury area, before being appointed to his current role.

Andy Castledine: Member Liaison
E-mail: andy.castledine@firstgroup.com

Andy is currently employed by First Great Western as a Train Service Controller based in the Integrated Control Centre in Swindon, having joined the company in February 2009. His railway career began in 2001 when he joined EWS as a Train Running Controller based in its Doncaster HQ. After completing University, Andy joined Central Trains in its performance team, later moving into station management (including a stint as Station Operations Manager at Birmingham New Street) before moving into traincrew management. A member of the IRO almost since its formation, he has had direct involvement with the Institution since 2008 and was involved with the North West branch of the IRO Young Professionals. Andy joined the IRO South East Area Council in April 2009, later crossing the board to become a member of the South West Area Council in November 2009.  Andy is currently an active member of both the SE and SW area councils.

Andrew Dickinson: Student Liaison
E-mail: Andrew.Dickinson@firstgroup.com

Andrew joined First Great Western in 2006 as part of the FirstGroup Graduate Training Scheme. On completion of the scheme, he worked on a Customer Information During Disruption Project, before moving into his current position as Station Manager for the Slough area. Andrew is studying for the IRO Degree in Railway Operational Management. As part of his role with the IRO’s South West Area Council, Andrew is student representative for the area.

Nick Edwards: Secretary
E-mail: nicolas.edwards@dbschenker.com

Nick has over 30 years operational railway experience, having started out with British Rail as a Driver’s Assistant, before progressing to Driver and Traction Inspector. He has also worked as Traincrew and Operations Manager and Deputy Regional Manager and is currently employed as Operations Standards Manager for DB Schenker (formerly EWS), where he is also the Royal Train Officer. Nick is involved in all aspects of operations and is also involved with managing and developing Channel Tunnel freight standards for DB Schenker. Having risen through the grades, Nick firmly believes in staff development in railway operations – until the advent of the IRO, something that was seldom open to many staff. He is also a strong supporter of the opportunity for staff to be able to develop through the IRO.

Clive Fletcher-Wood: Council Member
E-mail: clivefw@googlemail.com

Having held school holiday jobs as a telephone enquiry clerk at Waterloo and Junior Porter at Hook, Clive Fletcher-Wood returned to the railway in his second-career as a lawyer. As a partner in Burges Salmon, he concentrated on railway law, especially at an operational safety level (Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Ufton Nervet). Clive has also dealt with contractual disputes including network change and judicial review applications and is an IRO Tutor in Safety Law and Management, Railway Business Organisation and Railway Operating Principles.

Sarah Kendall: Council Member
E-mail: Sarah.Kendall@crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Sarah Kendall is the Production Director for CrossCountry and is now a member of the IRO Board, as well as serving on the South West Area Council. Sarah’s career has been predominantly in operational roles - initially with BR and then Eurotunnel. More recently she has worked as an academic and a consultant in rail franchising and was a successful Director for Arriva's bid for CrossCountry in 2007.

Chris Prior: Events Co-ordinator
E-mail: chris.prior@firstgroup.com

Chris is Control Centre Manager for First Great Western based in Swindon. He first joined the rail industry in September 1992 as an Operations Management Trainee in Doncaster, with later roles including Traffic Supervisor (Controller) and Freight Service Manager. Following the creation of EWS in 1996, Chris then worked in a variety of performance management, control and project management roles, all based in Doncaster. Highlights included a year on secondment to Wisconsin Central in the United States and project managing EWS’s input to the construction of High Speed 1. Chris has been a member of the IRO since its formation and from 2007 until late 2008 was the Secretary for the IRO North East Section.

Tim Maddocks: Industry Body Liaison
E-mail: tim.maddocks@networkrail.co.uk

Tim first joined the railways in 1981 on the British Rail graduate entry scheme, moving into his first proper job at Taunton in 1983 as a shift Traffic Assistant managing the station, signalboxes and traincrews. Other shift operations roles in various locations followed until 1992, when Tim was appointed as the Operations and Safety Manager for Regional Railways at Plymouth until privatisation, at which point he joined the operations team for the Railtrack Exeter Area as Performance Manager. In 1997 Tim was appointed Area Production Manager at Exeter for Railtrack, covering all lines from Cogload Jct to Penzance. Following a re-organisation in 2003, he became Area Customer Services Manager for Network Rail, West Country Area, based in Bristol.

Lawrie Hall: Area Chairman
E-mail: lorryandvan@goatcott.plus.com

Lawrie is a founder member of the IRO and has over 40 years experience of railway operations in the UK and Australia, both at a local and strategic level. His recent posts included Railtrack/Network Rail Production Manager at Bristol and Cardiff. Before retiring from full-time employment in 2004, he was Regional Operations Standards Manager at Swindon. Now employed as a Principal Consultant by Lloyds Register Rail, Lawrie spends most of his time in signalling development, signal sighting, risk-assessment and training. For the last three years, he has been the Area Chair representative on the IRO Board.

Colin Stanaway: Treasurer
E-mail: colin.stanaway@networkrail.co.uk

Colin has worked in the rail industry for 35 years, mainly based in the Western sector covering various operating roles, including Powerbox Supervisor, HQ Signalling and Safety Inspector and Signalling Manager. He has also gained considerable experience in the areas of maintenance and major projects, with posts including Assistant Contracts Manager, Infrastructure Trains Manager, Assistant Project Manager - Cross Country Upgrade Programme, Rail Delivery Manager and Maintenance Project Manager. Colin returned to the operations fraternity in recent years as Senior Signalling Inspector and latterly as an Operations Risk Advisor. Colin has been a member of the IRO since its inception and a part of the South West Area Council for four years.

Martin Bonnington: Council Member
E-mail: Martin.Bonnington@firstgroup.com

Martin is employed by First Great Western as a Duty Station Manager at Bristol Temple Meads, having first joined the rail industry in 2007 as a management trainee on the FirstGroup Operations Management Training Scheme. He has since progressed to a number of project management roles within the company, including the introduction of loco hauled services and the development of the 2009/10 Joint Performance Improvement Plan. Following this, he was promoted to Area Operations Manager in the Westbury area, before being appointed to his current role.

Andy Castledine: Member Liaison
E-mail: andy.castledine@firstgroup.com

Andy is currently employed by First Great Western as a Train Service Controller based in the Integrated Control Centre in Swindon, having joined the company in February 2009. His railway career began in 2001 when he joined EWS as a Train Running Controller based in its Doncaster HQ. After completing University, Andy joined Central Trains in its performance team, later moving into station management (including a stint as Station Operations Manager at Birmingham New Street) before moving into traincrew management. A member of the IRO almost since its formation, he has had direct involvement with the Institution since 2008 and was involved with the North West branch of the IRO Young Professionals. Andy joined the IRO South East Area Council in April 2009, later crossing the board to become a member of the South West Area Council in November 2009.  Andy is currently an active member of both the SE and SW area councils.

Andrew Dickinson: Student Liaison
E-mail: Andrew.Dickinson@firstgroup.com

Andrew joined First Great Western in 2006 as part of the FirstGroup Graduate Training Scheme. On completion of the scheme, he worked on a Customer Information During Disruption Project, before moving into his current position as Station Manager for the Slough area. Andrew is studying for the IRO Degree in Railway Operational Management. As part of his role with the IRO’s South West Area Council, Andrew is student representative for the area.

Nick Edwards: Secretary
E-mail: nicolas.edwards@dbschenker.com

Nick has over 30 years operational railway experience, having started out with British Rail as a Driver’s Assistant, before progressing to Driver and Traction Inspector. He has also worked as Traincrew and Operations Manager and Deputy Regional Manager and is currently employed as Operations Standards Manager for DB Schenker (formerly EWS), where he is also the Royal Train Officer. Nick is involved in all aspects of operations and is also involved with managing and developing Channel Tunnel freight standards for DB Schenker. Having risen through the grades, Nick firmly believes in staff development in railway operations – until the advent of the IRO, something that was seldom open to many staff. He is also a strong supporter of the opportunity for staff to be able to develop through the IRO.

Clive Fletcher-Wood: Council Member
E-mail: clivefw@googlemail.com

Having held school holiday jobs as a telephone enquiry clerk at Waterloo and Junior Porter at Hook, Clive Fletcher-Wood returned to the railway in his second-career as a lawyer. As a partner in Burges Salmon, he concentrated on railway law, especially at an operational safety level (Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Ufton Nervet). Clive has also dealt with contractual disputes including network change and judicial review applications and is an IRO Tutor in Safety Law and Management, Railway Business Organisation and Railway Operating Principles.

Sarah Kendall: Council Member
E-mail: Sarah.Kendall@crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Sarah Kendall is the Production Director for CrossCountry and is now a member of the IRO Board, as well as serving on the South West Area Council. Sarah’s career has been predominantly in operational roles - initially with BR and then Eurotunnel. More recently she has worked as an academic and a consultant in rail franchising and was a successful Director for Arriva's bid for CrossCountry in 2007.

Chris Prior: Events Co-ordinator
E-mail: chris.prior@firstgroup.com

Chris is Control Centre Manager for First Great Western based in Swindon. He first joined the rail industry in September 1992 as an Operations Management Trainee in Doncaster, with later roles including Traffic Supervisor (Controller) and Freight Service Manager. Following the creation of EWS in 1996, Chris then worked in a variety of performance management, control and project management roles, all based in Doncaster. Highlights included a year on secondment to Wisconsin Central in the United States and project managing EWS’s input to the construction of High Speed 1. Chris has been a member of the IRO since its formation and from 2007 until late 2008 was the Secretary for the IRO North East Section.

Tim Maddocks: Industry Body Liaison
E-mail: tim.maddocks@networkrail.co.uk

Tim first joined the railways in 1981 on the British Rail graduate entry scheme, moving into his first proper job at Taunton in 1983 as a shift Traffic Assistant managing the station, signalboxes and traincrews. Other shift operations roles in various locations followed until 1992, when Tim was appointed as the Operations and Safety Manager for Regional Railways at Plymouth until privatisation, at which point he joined the operations team for the Railtrack Exeter Area as Performance Manager. In 1997 Tim was appointed Area Production Manager at Exeter for Railtrack, covering all lines from Cogload Jct to Penzance. Following a re-organisation in 2003, he became Area Customer Services Manager for Network Rail, West Country Area, based in Bristol.