Balfour Beatty has named Richard Watts as the following managing director of its UK Rail industry.
He’ll sign up for the corporate later this 12 months sooner than officially moving into the function in January 2026.
Watts is lately rail sector director at BAM Nuttall, the place he’s accountable for the supply and function of nationwide rail frameworks, along with overseeing the corporate’s highways operations.
He brings 20 years of revel in within the rail sector and has held senior management roles at TXM Plant, Top Velocity 2 Ltd, Colas Rail and Community Rail.
He’ll be triumphant Mick Rayner, who has spent greater than 27 years at Balfour Beatty and has led the rail industry since 2018.
Rayner will stay in submit till the top of 2025, and then he’ll transfer right into a part-time function as senior adviser. He’ll proceed to enhance the rail department following the handover.
Stephen Tarr, Balfour Beatty team sector lead for UK power and divisional leader govt of its Energy Transmission & Distribution, Rail and Kilpatrick companies, mentioned Watts’ “revel in and in-depth wisdom of main rail challenge supply” would enhance the department’s ahead momentum and assist make sure that the secure supply of top of the range rail infrastructure throughout the United Kingdom.
Watts mentioned he was once “honoured” to sign up for the industry and regarded ahead to operating along Rayner and the present management staff.
“This can be a pivotal time as Nice British Railways starts to reshape the business,” he mentioned. “I stay up for serving to develop and improve what’s already an out of this world industry as we ship the following bankruptcy of the United Kingdom’s rail community.”
Balfour Beatty employs 1,500 other folks in its UK Rail industry and delivers products and services throughout all of the challenge lifecycle, together with the design, enhancement and upkeep of rail infrastructure. The corporate is a longstanding contractor on main programmes for Community Rail and Delivery for London.
In February, Balfour Beatty was once reappointed to Community Rail’s eight-year Provide Chain Services and products framework. The contract comprises the availability, operation and upkeep of high-performance tamping machines utilized in monitor renewals and upkeep initiatives throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
Balfour Beatty mentioned it expects to take care of a powerful pipeline of labor in rail, power and delivery over the approaching years, with its UK industry an increasing number of interested by long-term public sector frameworks and controlled markets.
Supply: Balfour Beatty announcement
