Stuart Brown

Said the following about Chris Hanson:

“Chris has made a successful and significant contribution to the railway industry in a career which has spanned 49 years already and still counting!

He has applied his expertise technically and commercially in a diverse range of roles including tribology, radio development, communications systems, vehicle engineering, contracts management, project management, engineering management, sales and business development, refurbishment, quality assessment and technical advice.

He began his career in the rail industry in 1970 at British Rail Research, where he initially conducted investigations in tribology, corrosion technology, lubrication, friction and wear including work on high performance greases for HST axle boxes and composite brake block materials testing and then moved on to the design, development, installation and commissioning of the prototype Radio Electronic Token Block signalling system.

He then joined Metro-Cammell, later GEC Alstom, initially as a senior communications engineer working on fixed and train-borne systems including radio, public address, passenger information and tunnel communication, moving on to roles in engineering management on the new Eurostar and Night Stock projects and for warranty and reliability growth support on class 465 and 466 Networkers, class 91 locomotives, Mark IV coaches and the class 156 DMU.

Chris then led the development of new passenger rail vehicles for the post-privatised railway in the 1990s, initially on the Juniper product family at GEC Alstom and then on the Generic Multiple Unit Concept at Adtranz. He played a key role in taking the two large UK vehicle builders at the time away from supply against a detailed specification for British Rail into responsibility for defining a product, with its fundamental features and options to allow for customisation for individual clients. He used his technical knowledge, experience and management abilities to lead the development of the Generic Multiple Unit Concept from a blank sheet of paper through discussions with potential vehicle owners and operators, tendering, design, manufacturing and introduction for the Turbostar and Electrostar products, which formed the basis of a successful product line to a range of clients for over 15 years.

Chris then moved on to roles in engineering and project management at InfraCo BCV, general management at GeGa Rail and business development and programme management at Craig and Derricott.

Chris joined his present employer, Jacobs (formerly Halcrow and CH2M) in 2006 and has acted in roles including project manager for the refurbishment of Northern Ireland Railways’ class 80 DEMU vehicles to extend their life and fit new safety systems, project manager for the installation design and fitment of in-cab signalling equipment to London Underground Engineering Vehicles, quality assessment for commuter units for Melbourne, lenders’ technical advice and several successful years as market sector manager and sales director for the company.

His latest role for Jacobs has been as project manager for the company’s role as Technical Advisor to Merseytravel, which he has been doing since 2014. He was instrumental in winning this work for Jacobs, through his ability to blend technical knowledge with an ability to listen to the customer and understand their priorities. He has subsequently led the Jacobs team, working collaboratively with Merseytravel, Merseyrail and Network Rail to procure new rolling stock and upgrades to platforms and the power supply that will provide benefits such as universal level boarding for passengers, an excellent driving environment, low mass and energy consumption, increased frequencies and reduced journey times.

The Project Director at Merseytravel, David Powell, has provided the following quote: “Chris has a wealth of industry experience and an acute eye for opportunities to push the boundaries of what is offered to the railway’s customers by thinking from a ‘total system’ perspective. Our current project to replace the fleet of trains on the Merseyrail network highlights this perfectly. Merseyrail will set a new industry benchmark for safety and accessibility at the platform train interface. We have benefitted from Chris’s experience and vision. He been instrumental in developing an innovative solution which provides unassisted access for every passenger on every platform at every doorway.”

Throughout his career he has shown a deep commitment, energy and flexibility to carry out his work, including extensive travelling, which has taken him through places as diverse as the Scottish Highlands, France, Scandinavia, Australia, Switzerland and, over the past few years, spending most of his working time in Liverpool.

He has excellent people skills. He has showed throughout his career that he is prepared to be tough and stand his ground when needed to defend the interests of his various employers in technical, commercial and legal matters and his ability to remember technical details, people and stories has given him success in sales and also made him an entertaining person to work with.

As well as delivering his own input successfully, he has influenced the careers of staff working for and around him who have gone on to follow successful careers in the rail industry, drawing on Chris’ advice and experience and his ability to trust them to take ownership of their roles. In particular, he has guided young engineers and graduates to realise their potential.

He has found time during his career to gain a Power engineering degree, has learnt French and used it during work on the Eurostar project at GEC Alstom and is a family man committed to his daughters and grandchildren, as well as finding time to regularly complete the Daily Telegraph crossword!

In summary, Chris has spent his working life delivering projects to improve and develop the rail network and remains enthusiastic and committed to the industry, such that he has continued working beyond his normal retirement age due to his personal commitment and interest in his current project for Merseytravel.“