Five new members have been appointed to the National Railway Museum’s Advisory Board, which provides advice and support to the museum’s Senior Management Team on their plans for the museum’s future.

The new members are Tim Dunn, Steve Oates, Jo Lewington, Anit Chandarana, and Toufic Machnouk, and each are prominent in various fields associated with the railway industry. They will join other senior figures with backgrounds in the rail industry, academia, and business on the Advisory Board, which is chaired by Sir Peter Hendy, Chair of Network Rail.

The museum’s Vision 2025 plans are starting to take shape, with a new interactive space ‘Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery’, due to open in May 2023, so the appointments have come at just the right time.

Tim Dunn is a broadcaster and railway historian who is best known for the television programmes that he presents: The Architecture the Railways Built and Secrets of the London Underground.

Tim said: “I am delighted to join the Advisory Board: it is a privilege and responsibility that I do not hold lightly.

“As we enter the next phase of delivering the NRM’s Vision 2025 plans and work towards 2025 – the bicentenary of the world’s first steam passenger train service and the start of railways as we know them – the opportunities to bring railway history forward to new audiences and to inform contemporary discourse have never been greater.”

Steve Oates joins the board after being appointed as the Heritage Railway Association‘s first Chief Executive four years ago and is actively involved in promoting and protecting the interests of heritage railways to the Government and other bodies.

Steve commented: “The National Railway Museum and the heritage railways with whom they work are the custodians of much of Britain’s transport heritage.

“Preserving, operating, interpreting, and engaging with such heritage requires a good deal of collaboration and it’s a privilege to be able to further strengthen the links between our nationally renowned railway museum and our nations’ heritage railways.”

Jo Lewington is Network Rail’s Chief Environmental & Sustainability Officer. She is responsible for leading on its commitment to provide the cleanest and greenest form of mass transport in the UK.

Jo added: “I’ve joined the board because I believe that the work of the NRM is essential to public engagement and education about the rail industry. It provides a great platform to advancing knowledge and understanding of the railways’ positives on society and the economy.

“I am passionate about engaging everyone in the subjects of environment and sustainability, and the NRM presents an exciting opportunity to bring everyone on that journey and to inspire future generations to get involved.”

Anit Chandarana is the Lead Director of the Great British Railways Transition Team. He was formerly Chief of Staff at Network Rail and has worked in the railway industry for over 18 years.

Anit said: “The railway has a rich heritage and has been an integral part of the history of Great Britain for many generations.

“Joining the National Railway Museum’s Advisory Board is an opportunity to help to preserve, celebrate and educate.”

In his role as a Director, Industry Partnership and Digital Railway at Network Rail, Toufic Machnouk is leading on a pioneering cross-industry partnership to create and deliver the next generation railway through digital train control technology. Toufic hopes to help the museum deliver an innovative future, adding: “The National Railway Museum sits in a uniquely special place between the past and the future.

“In joining the Advisory Board, I am excited to support the museum shape and enable a more exciting, pioneering and innovative future, particularly through the ambitious Vision 2025 plans and the opportunities created by the bicentenary of the railway over the coming years.”

Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome five new members to our Advisory Board. Tim, Steve, Jo, Anit and Toufic bring a wealth of experience from different parts of the rail industry and will play a vital role in providing advice for the museum through a busy and exciting time.

“They will join the board immediately and, alongside our existing members, support us in our mission to inspire the next generation of visitors.”