RICHARD Bowker has quit as head of National Express (NX) for the desert.
The career railwayman is effectively turning his back on Britain's recession, which stopped the train operator's growth plans in its tracks, for boom time in the United Arab Emirates, which is spending more than £20 billion on rail development.
NX may blame the economy for the impending collapse of its east coast franchise, but Mr Bowker, more than almost anyone else in the industry, should have been able to learn from the past.
Not only was the rail executive, who earns £931,000 a year, a key part of an unsuccessful Virgin bid for the franchise, but he oversaw the franchising process itself as chairman of the former Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).
Ironically, the forthcoming temporary renationalisation of the east coast franchise emulates the precedent he set at the SRA by stepping in to run the failed south-east franchise for two years in 2003.
RAIL magazine managing editor Nigel Harris said: "Richard Bowker is not responsible for the recession, but is culpable in that he took a risk that there would be 10 per cent passenger growth, and it backfired."
Bowker, 43, who previously worked at London Underground, was co-chairman of Virgin Rail, which runs the west coast main line Glasgow-London franchise before joining the SRA. He joined NX three years ago and will become chief executive designate of Union Railway in the UAE next month.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said: "I am sad to see Bowker leave the UK rail industry. He has shown dedication and drive."
