Costain has appointed Simon Ellison as rail sector director. In his new role, Ellison will be responsible for shaping and expanding the Costain’s rail infrastructure delivery expertise to meet the current and future needs of UK rail clients, delivering strategic national infrastructure upgrades, regulatory commitments and essential business performance improvements.  

Key focus areas for growth will be digital signalling, electrification programmes, strategic professional services frameworks and technology integration to complement current leading-edge complex delivery on stations and rail system upgrade programmes. 

Chartered engineer Ellison joined Costain in 1997 and has performed several senior leadership roles, most recently, as technology capability director and prior to that as highways sector director. He recently led the digital technology solutions element of Costain’s leading edge strategy, developing and establishing a leading edge in-house digital technology solutions capability. He also recently opened Costain’s new digital technology centre in Bristol and will extend the range of technology-led capabilities the group currently provides to its rail clients.

Prior to this role, Simon was highways sector director at Costain from 2012-2018 leading service transformation and business growth across advisory & consultancy

Ian Parker, managing director, transportation at Costain, said: “Throughout his career at Costain, Simon has made a real difference in shaping the UK’s future transport infrastructure, leading numerous infrastructure programmes, sector improvement initiatives and significant sustained business growth. I am excited to welcome Simon back into the transportation leadership team as we expand our business in rail and wish him every success in his new role.”