IIt was one of those exhausting, confusing days on the railroad. “Trains…” sighed a woman on the platform at Gatwick station, as a group of us stared glumly at the cancellations and delays on the departures screen. “what can you do?”

That’s when I should have posed this question to a woman 25 miles away who can really make a difference: Angie Doll, chief executive of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

The operator’s Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express trains carry nearly one fifth of the UK’s rail passengers (around 5 million passengers per week). Dole, arguably the most senior woman in Britain’s rail industry since being promoted to the top job at GTR in November, believes she can once again turn around train services for customers.

The change in role allowed her to get a few extra hours of sleep the night before we finally met at Brighton Station. The blackout at 4am meant GTR decided to cancel all Southern trains from London to Brighton, as well as most Thameslink trains.

Not long ago, Dole would be reporting on the latest chaos at night. Now, when she wakes up, she sees news in the WhatsApp group. Most people might welcome peace, but Dole said “one of the hardest things to do is step back” and leave the operational work to her team.

Her new role means developing strategy for the coming years. Many in the rail industry believe the industry is at its lowest ebb for a long time, battered by the coronavirus pandemic, job cuts, strikes, stalled reform promises and rising fares: Sunday fares rose another 4.9%. Dole is optimistic, though: “We are on the cusp of a major change in rail: we have to be clear about our purpose and where we want to go.”

Regardless of whether the draft bill to establish Great Britain Rail is passed before a new government is elected, Dole is confident either the Conservatives or Labor will push for reform: “They are absolutely in agreement on a lot of things – and the industry is in agreement. We do need a guide.” Thoughts, we do need a longer-term strategy, we do need to be more customer-centric and address the issues we have with fares. The difference now is their mechanics and how they achieve that.”

In her quarter-century in the industry, she said, “I feel like this is almost the most exciting time. Rail… absolutely need to think about passengers differently than they have in the past because now Working from home was established.”

Even before the pandemic, many GTR customers were happy to tear up their season tickets and work from home. In 2016-17, when Dole was director of passenger services, Southern Rail became synonymous with train hell.

The ill-prepared GTR mega-concessionaires were fighting fires on multiple fronts, leaving commuters on overcrowded, unreliable trains – even before Southern Railway was embroiled in its worst strike since privatization over drivers operating trains only. As Southern Railway pioneered the role of onboard supervisor, or, depending on the point of view, reduced the role of guard, Dole became a nuisance to railroad unions.

“I would say Southern is better for our customers in 2016 and these are the jobs that will stand the test of time,” she said. “Now my legacy is: I’m doing what’s in the best interest of our employees and our customers.”

This also applies to the introduction of new Thameslink trains. They were at the heart of the 2018 timetable fiasco that saw one of Dole’s predecessors forced off the train, causing consternation among commuters when they were rolled out in crude carriages with hard seats and no proper tables.

Dole sees it differently: “Those trains, they’re like vacuum cleaners. They’re so great – you see them come in and they just suck up everybody on the platform.”

Many people were delighted to be sucked away, she said: “From a passenger experience point of view, they’re a great train because they absolutely do what they say on the tin – it’s public transport and can go very quickly It transports a lot of passengers and creates space. It’s a more comfortable experience, especially when you have to stand for short distances.”

She became managing director of China Southern in 2019, leading the airline from strife-torn laggard to 2021 Operator of the Year. Her strategy, she said, is to “build bridges with unions and employees, stabilize the business and then strive to be the best.” You have to give people a sense of direction and where they are going and show them the building blocks along the way. “

Dole hit the track after a long career in the resort industry, rising from representative to boss in the Canary Islands: “When I went on holiday with my mum when I was 14, I told her, ‘I don’t want to be an air No longer a hostess, I want to be a representative – because they can stay.”

It’s a good foundation, she says: “It prepares you for anything because people have such high expectations for holidays. It made me realize that the purpose of the trip is more important than the trip itself. This can help you Look at it from a completely different perspective.”

However, when she started railway life as a station manager in Brighton, she encountered some problems: “People often ask me how it feels to be a woman in a male organization. When I joined, the biggest question was” How can you be a webmaster if you haven’t done this job before? “. The currency is your history and experience – it will take about 10 years before you are truly accepted.”

This year, around 140 GTR employees alone have received awards from Doll for reaching 25 years of service. “Next year, I will sign my own certificate!”

But while long-term rail jobs are common, Dole said: “We do need to modernize. People have a very established way of thinking and working. When you want to make a change, even a small one, you You really need to take people with you on the journey. You have to show the value – and people can only see it when it shows up.”

CV

age 58
family Married with a stepdaughter.
educate Comprehensive school in Bristol, graduating at 17, “with several O-levels”.
salary declined to disclose.
last holiday Skiing in Cervinia, Italy with a group of girlfriends.
Best advice she ever got “‘Be real’—from my executive coach.”
Biggest career mistake “I don’t regret anything I’ve done.” But she almost turned down a job that was “the best I’ve ever had” (at High Speed ​​One).
her overused phrases “Will this make our ship go faster?”
how she relaxes Yoga and walking every morning.