Kelvin Holder

Said the following about Lee Jones - **HAS LEFT**:

“Lee Jones RailStaff Lifetime Achievement award

It’s hard to match the breadth and depth of the passion and commitment that Lee has given to the rail industry. Over a 45year career, he has continuously demonstrated his ability to motivate staff, develop winning teams and encourage radical thinking. Lee is a team player but above all a team leader respected for his management style and commitment to the job.

Even in the early days of his career, Lee has always marked himself as an innovator, passionate about safety and developing his workforce, which has resulted in better performance and value for rail operators and clients.

As a rail engineer, Lee helped deliver significant track improvements to the Cardiff Valley network by pioneering its upgrade, using steel sleepers in place of wooden ones. He quickly established his leadership credentials, heading up some of Amey’s most significant contracts with high profile clients such as Eurostar and what was then Railtrack.

One of Lee’s biggest achievements was in his work for Tube Lines, culminating in the role of Operations Director. Under the Tube Lines contract Amey maintain and manage the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines – the three busiest underground lines in Europe, carrying over 2m passengers each day.

Under his leadership, not only was the performance of the Northern Line turned around –with an improvement of reliability by 65% and maintenance-related delays to passengers halved - the asset management strategy he helped create also ensured that the lines ran smoothly during the 2012 Olympics. This model of management is now being successfully applied on the Docklands Light Railway franchise, which Amey manages in Joint Venture with Keolis.

Lee’s credibility as a leader saw him regularly asked to brief the press, stakeholders and MPs as well as act as the main point of contact for Transport for London on behalf of Amey. This latter role saw him heavily involved in the multi-award winning Hammersmith Flyover strengthening programme that was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget in time for the Olympics; an achievement that marks the contract as one of TfL’s most successful.

This credibility has been regularly recognised by the industry with awards for Safety and for his contribution to the Learning and Skills Council’s apprenticeship programme, as well as a clutch of awards for the achievements made in Tube Lines.

Since taking on his current role of Director of Rail and Metro for Amey, Lee has mentored and led teams delivering some of the UK’s most significant rail contracts including working to support the Crossrail and the Great Western Electrification Programmes. He has helped ensure that Amey remains ahead of the game in tackling the skills gap, encouraging innovation through the development of a unique international graduate programme , an apprenticeship programme which supports the Duke of Edinburgh gold awards and the recruitment of ex-service personnel with highly sought after engineering skills.

By 2015 Lee has become responsible for over £ 300m per annum of contracts with Network Rail and Tfl and his business was recently given four prestigious for the most innovative project of the year at the Scottish Transport Awards and for driving efficiencies ,investing in people and for Heritage at the Network Rail Partnership awards , all of which showcase what Lee Jones has demonstrated throughout his 45 year career and really shows that Lee has dedicated his life to our UK rail industry.

Testimonials:

“Lee is the consummate professional in the rail industry – cool and calm under pressure during the Olympics; innovative in his approach to asset management and use of technology; a well-respected leader in Tube Lines and Amey; and one of the most experienced operators in the rail industry today. His passion for rail and the people who work in it is only matched by his heroic support for Cardiff City – against all the odds!”

Dr. Jon Lamonte, CEO Transport for Greater Manchester

" Lee is one of the most experienced , dedicated and knowledgable railwayman I know. He led a team at Tube Lines which transformed performance on the Northern, Piccadilly and Jubilee Lines with Lost Customer Hours down by 40% and a three fold improvement in safety. “

Prof David Begg,

Chief Executive Transport Times and former chairman of Tube Lines.

“Very few can match the contribution that Lee has made to the rail industry over his career. His leadership and experience has helped Amey deliver innovation and value to some of the biggest rail projects in the UK. His passion for the future opportunities we have in the rail industry make me proud to have him on my team.”

Andy Milner, Managing Director, Consulting and Strategic Infrastructure, Amey“