Elaine Holt

Chief Executive, Directly Operated Trains

Elaine Holt is Chief Executive of Directly Operated Railways and Chairman of East Coast Main Line Company Limited. Elaine has a wealth of management experience in the transport sector – with some seven years in rail.

Previously she was Managing Director of First Capital Connect, one of the UK's busiest commuter train operating companies. Elaine headed up the FCC team since the company's inception in April 2006, when FirstGroup won the franchise which brought together the former Thameslink and WAGN rail franchises.

Before then, Elaine worked in a variety of senior roles within both the bus and rail divisions of FirstGroup, and spent 13 years at British Airways.

In July 2009, Elaine assembled a group of rail industry experts to manage the mobilisation for transition of the former National Express East Coast franchise to temporary public ownership.

Official transfer of the business took place on 13 November 2009, and the railway has subsequently experienced a seamless transition to become East Coast.

Under its new business structure, the company is receiving new investment of more than £17 million and substantial improvements to operations are planned during the next two years, before it is re-let again to a new private sector operator towards the end of 2011.