Arriva Rail London (ARL) has appointed as its new managing director Steve Best, who is currently the finance and commercial director of London Overground.

Arriva Rail London operates the London Overground on behalf of Transport for London (TfL). Before Steve joined London Overground, he held senior finance roles at City Link and Rentokil. For the last ten years he has been with London Underground, having joined the company as finance director in 2013 when it was operating under the London Overground Rail Operations Limited (LOROL) concession.

Steve will take up his appointment on 1 January 2024 when he will succeed Paul Hutchings, who will move into a new role at Arriva UK Trains (AUKT), also effective from 1 January 2024.

Paul Hutchings, the current Managing Director at Arriva Rail London, said: “Having worked closely with Steve over the past three years, I have seen first hand his ability to lead the business in delivering strong performance and exceptional service for our customers.

“Steve has made an outstanding contribution to the success of the London Overground and I am delighted that Arriva has made this appointment. I look forward to seeing what he and the team achieve in the coming years.”

Steve Best, finance and commercial director at Arriva Rail London, said: “I am delighted to be stepping into the role of managing director next year. I have watched the London Overground grow and evolve over the past decade into not only a fast and reliable service, but a high-quality network that cares and connects the communities it serves.

“Our excellent teams and partners will continue to improve the services we provide to our customers in London, as part of the TfL network.”