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Gareth Dennis

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Not to be confused with Garth Dennis.
Gareth Dennis
Gareth Dennis in 2021
Born
Gareth Aled Dennis
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
OccupationRail engineer
Children1
AwardsYoung Rail Professional Distinguished Service Award 2024
Websitewww.garethdennis.co.uk
Signature

Gareth Aled Dennis[1] is a Scottish-Welsh rail engineer and writer based in York who specialises in transport systems and policy. He has also lectured at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE).[2]

Dennis is often cited or interviewed on the basis of his railway engineering expertise by the British press.[3]

Early life

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Dennis, at the Pass of Drumochter, in 2010

Dennis grew up in Inverurie.[4] He studied for a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering with Construction Management at the University of Edinburgh.[5]

Career

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Dennis, at the National Railway Museum, in 2021

Dennis previously worked as a senior permanent way engineer at Arcadis.[3][6] From 2014 to 2020, Dennis served as founding director of Permanent Rail Engineering, a sustainable transport consultancy.[1][7] Dennis has taught at the National College for High Speed Rail in Doncaster[8] and the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham.[9]

Dennis is a frequent commentator on railways in the British media.[10] In 2020, Dennis started the podcast #Railnatter.[3]

Dennis is a strong supporter of HS2 and increasing capacity on the UK railway network, and was highly critical of the Conservative government's approach and persistent watering down of the new system.[11][12][13] He has also advocated for more metros and tram systems in British cities.[14][15]

In 2023, Dennis joined SYSTRA.[16] In November 2024, Dennis will publish his debut book How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the brilliance of the iron road via Penguin Random House.[17][18]

Dismissal from SYSTRA

[edit]

In April 2024, Dennis was quoted in an article by The Independent about Euston railway station's inability to safely handle the volume of passengers and safety risks posed by overcrowding at the station.[19] Upon becoming aware of the article, then Chair of Network Rail, Peter Hendy, ordered his staff to directly contact Nick Salt, CEO of SYSTRA, upon discovery that Dennis was employed by the company, and make a “request for disciplinary action...”[10][20][21] Subsequent communications in the following weeks expressed a desire to see disciplinary action taken, and suggested the company may not receive future work from Network Rail.[10] On 19 May, Hendy told SYSTRA CEO Nick Salt that he was unsatisfied with Salt's initial apology, and that if further action wasn't taken that he would “take it up with your head office and shareholders”.[10] The following day, 20 May, Dennis was suspended, and four days later, on 24 May, was offered financial settlement to leave provided he not discuss the matter, which he declined.[10]

Following a disciplinary hearing, Dennis was dismissed by SYSTRA on 8 July due to alleged "...conduct [which] has brought the name / reputation of SYSTRA Ltd and Network Rail into disrepute."[10]

On November 6th 2024 Peter Hendy publicly appologised for his threats if Dennis was not fired. Dennis responded "Hendy is only apologising for the tone of his letter – nothing on his subsequent threats by email – to calm the anger of a supply chain he was seemingly willing to threaten and cajole. He is not apologising for the harm he has caused me or the damage he has caused to the rail industry’s public reputation."[22]

Selected publications

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  • How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the essential brilliance of the iron road (2024, Repeater: ISBN 9781915672483)

References

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  1. ^ a b "PERMANENT RAIL ENGINEERING (UK) LIMITED - People". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  2. ^ "INTERVIEW: How could we fix train services in Wales?". May 2, 2022 – via www.westerntelegraph.co.uk.
  3. ^ a b c "Biggest influencers in railways in Q3 2020: The top individuals to follow". Railway Technology. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ^ Beattie, Kieran (3 November 2020). "Rail expert on how to address consumer confidence as line reopens months after Stonehaven tragedy". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Contact us". University of Edinburgh School of Engineering. 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Tech Tent: the hype around Hyperloop". BBC News. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  7. ^ Guardado, Elmer (20 August 2018). "Sustainable Public Transport: Is it Possible? with Gareth Dennis of Permanent Rail Engineering". Market Scale. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  8. ^ Dale, Tim; Ingall, Tom (6 June 2023). "Doncaster HS2 college closure kick in the shins says business group". BBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ^ Cordero Sapién, Josephine (16 September 2020). "Franchising is Dead: A Conversation with Gareth Dennis". Railway News. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Stone, Jon (29 August 2024). "UK rail minister got engineer sacked for raising safety concerns". Politico. Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  11. ^ Cowen, Ailsa (18 January 2021). "Ep. 25 The industry needs to take matters into its own hands, Gareth Dennis". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  12. ^ Green, Kathy (4 October 2023). "Scrapping northern leg of HS2 would be bitter blow - York campaigner". Rayo. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  13. ^ Bartlett, Charlie (20 October 2023). "Mourning the demise of HS2 extension, with RailNatter's Gareth Dennis". The Loadstar. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  14. ^ Wilks, Rebecca (2 May 2022). "Gareth Dennis on HS2 and how we could fix the railway and train system in Wales". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Time for a rail revolution: We ask transport expert Gareth Dennis to design a new rail network for South Yorkshire". Sheffield Tribune. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.(subscription required)
  16. ^ "Gareth Dennis wins Young Rail Professional Distinguished Service Award 2024". SYSTRA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  17. ^ "How the Railways Will Fix the Future by Gareth Dennis". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  18. ^ Crane, Kevin (24 October 2024). "How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road – book review". Counterfire. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  19. ^ Rosseinsky, Katie (14 April 2024). "'Uncomfortable, unpleasant, unsafe': How London's Euston Station became hell on earth". The Independent. The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  20. ^ Hill, Amelia (2024-08-29). "Ex-Network Rail chair threatened firm over engineer's Euston criticism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  21. ^ Wilcock, Richard (2024-08-29). "Lord Hendy accused of threatening company over Euston criticism". Rail Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  22. ^ Topham, Gwyn; Topham (2024-11-06). "UK rail minister says sorry for threatening messages over Euston station concerns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
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