Louise Cheeseman, currently Managing Director of Hull Trains, will move to TfL at the beginning of August as its new Director of Buses.
She has been Managing Director of Hull Trains since 2018 and has achieved significant improvements in both performance and customer experience, while overseeing the introduction of a new fleet of more environmentally friendly trains.
Ms Cheesman started her career in transport as a train guard for Hull Trains in 2001. Before starting her role as Managing Director of Hull Trains, Louise held key operations and safety roles at Serco Docklands and the Metroline tram network in Manchester.
Gareth Powell, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “I’m thrilled that Louise will be joining us to lead the decarbonisation of London’s buses while helping this iconic form of transport support London’s sustainable recovery.
“Louise’s proven track record of success in operations and people leadership stood out in a high-calibre field of candidates. I’m very much looking forward to working with Louise at such an important time for the city.”
Ms Cheeseman said: ‘I am immensely proud to be joining TfL – an iconic organisation I have long admired. The opportunity to run the London bus network, the beating heart of the capital’s transport system, is enormously exciting and I can’t wait to get started.’
London’s bus network is crucial to supporting the city’s economy and reducing the capital’s emissions. Enabling people to commute and visit leisure attractions across London in a sustainable way is what will help the city’s recovery. Before the pandemic, London’s buses supported more than 6 million trips a day.
More than 500 electric buses operate in London, meaning TfL has one of the largest electric bus fleets in Europe.
With sustained financial support from the Government, TfL could look to accelerate its plans for a fully zero-emission bus fleet from 2037 to 2030 to reduce carbon emissions and address the public health emergency caused by dirty air.
