Chris Curtis
Director

Chris is passionate about public transport and has a wide range of commercial, operational and consultancy experience in both the bus and railway industries. He cut his teeth with the TAS Partnership from 2001 and has been involved with the development of various transport networks as well as bids for the Thameslink, East Midlands and South West Trains rail franchises.

He has since held the positions of Business Development Manager for Go North East, Commercial & Network Manager for Arriva North East and Senior Transport Programme Officer for Northumberland County Council. In these roles, Chris has always commanded high standards and has continually delivered strong patronage and revenue growth in challenging markets. As a result, Chris is a well-respected individual in his field.

Chris’s various roles have allowed regular journeys between London, the North East and Scotland, and as a result he has had many years travelling on the InterCity 225.

To Chris, the InterCity 225 project revolutionised train travel on the East Coast Mainline (ECML). The trains evoke memories of the highest levels of service quality, especially under Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), and deserve their place in ECML history.

Chris achieved a First Class Honours Degree in Transport and Logistics Management at the University of Huddersfield. He lives with his wife and two sons near Stockton-on-Tees and in his private time enjoys travelling and both playing and watching football. He was President of the United Bus Enthusiasts Group from June 2018 until April 2021.

Ben Denton-Cardew
Director

Being one of the youngest independent railway consultants in the UK, Ben has had numerous successes including aiding D.A.T.S in the procurement and supply of new couplings and drawbars for the Midland Main Line Overhead Line Equipment testing train. He also had the honour of heading Network Rail’s ‘RDIS’ project as assistant project manager, from which he learnt a great deal.

His love of the InterCity 225 came from spending years of travelling between Peterborough and Edinburgh from the age five onwards. This, understandably, is when the InterCity 225 sets left a profound impression on Ben’s life. Then again, coming from the sleepy branch lines of Suffolk, hearing the 6400hp of power draw in was always going to captivate the imagination of someone who once aspired to be the next Fred Dibnah. From then on, the rest was history. Ben founded the original Facebook group for class 91 images and information in 2012, which has gathered more than five thousand followers and has been a huge success.

Ben secured an academic scholarship to study Politics at the University of Glasgow. After completing his undergraduate degree with full honours, he is currently completing the Graduate Diploma in Law at City University, and is due to complete the BPTC in the next year.

In non-railway roles, Ben has worked in the House of Commons as a political advisor; in the course of this he has run several election campaigns. He is an officer at the Royal Naval Reserve Unit HMS President, where his leadership and public speaking has won both acclaim and award.

In his private passions, Ben plays the cello at a professional level, and restores classic Jaguar cars at his home in Suffolk.

Lee Brannan
Director

Lee's love of railways started in the 1980s while hanging around Durham station admiring all the classic traction crossing the viaduct. This included Class 37s, 40s, 47s, High Speed Trains and InterCity 225s, which have always been his favourite.

After Lee left school, he went straight into an electrical apprenticeship. While he still maintains these qualifications, he moved away from the tools into a management role in 2007 running large electrical and mechanical projects. This led him on to site management for railway infrastructure contractors, and since then he has never looked back.

In 2021, Lee secured his dream job as LNER Estates Project Manager, working across all its stations and running projects from refurbishment to new development. Lee has always been fascinated by the beautiful architecture that railway stations possess, so he sees it as an honour and a privilege to be involved with preserving this.

Lee has played a major role in the development of the 225 Group, bringing huge knowledge and management experience to the team. If you see Lee on an LNER train or station, please go over and say hello – he’s a friendly approachable chap.

In his spare time, Lee is a keen runner with numerous half marathons and more recently a London Marathon under his belt. He's also a keen gamer on the Xbox and likes to watch the Sunderland football team, although he begrudgingly says it's more for the social side of having a pint with the lads than watching the football!

Fraser Pithie
Development Manager

Fraser spent 33 years working in the utility sector, giving him an in-depth knowledge of operations, investment, asset management, maintenance and, above all, customer service. He started at the ‘coal face’ in 1979 as a District Inspector for the then Severn Trent Water Authority and by 2007 had risen through the ranks of what became Severn Trent plc to be its Senior Operations Manager.

Fraser was a Parish Council Chairman at the age of 26 and became Britain’s youngest County Councillor when he was elected to Warwickshire County Council at 29 in 1990. He also chaired Warwickshire’s Police Authority between 1995 and 1997.

Fraser retired in 2011 to pursue railway journalism and photography, and he now writes for The Railway Magazine, RAIL, Modern Railways and Railnews. He has produced a wide range of features, which seek to question and challenge or bring new insight into old subjects.

Fraser's passion for the Class 91 locomotives arose from his photography and led to a major feature in The Railway Magazine that was published in 2020. His knowledge and experience along with his contacts in the rail industry make him the perfect person to manage the development of the 225 Group. His writing will also be a regular feature of the 225 Group members’ magazine LiveWire.

Ian Beardsley
Publications Manager

Ian works for Platform 5 Publishing as a News & Features Writer for Today's Railways UK magazine, covering a wide range of subjects across the national rail network, light rail and the heritage sector.

Ian is also a volunteer at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre. Through this he has over ten years' experience in railway preservation, including rolling stock restoration and the organisation and management of events.

Ian is a life-long railway enthusiast and has a large collection of images. It is through photography, often of earlier East Coast motive power at work on charter trains, that his interest in InterCity 225s developed. Ian lives in Sheffield only a short distance from the East Coast Mainline (ECML) and can often be found at the lineside camera in hand. Although many of his trips to London have been on the Midland Mainline, Ian has fond memories of travelling aboard InterCity 225s from Doncaster to Edinburgh and Glasgow, especially during the Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) era.

Ian brings to the 225 Group extensive knowledge of the whole railway industry, and as editor of our bi-annual LiveWire magazine will endeavour to put together all the latest news as well as interesting features about the InterCity 225s. In his spare time, Ian enjoys model making, walking, cycling and travelling around the railway network.

Jacob Baldwin
Marketing & Comms Manager

Jacob was a member of the customer experience panel throughout the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise, which gave him a unique insight into the final stages of the Project 21 ('Plush Tush') refresh of the fleet. While some of the more extravagant projects were sadly forgotten, Jacob was thrilled to see his suggestions and feedback on improvements to the Mark 4 carriage saloons reflected in the final designs.

Jacob has enjoyed many years of travel along the East Coast Mainline (ECML) from his home station of Skipton, so the iconic InterCity 225s and their high levels of comfort and quality have been a big part of his childhood. Jacob hopes to bring to the 225 Group his fascination for the way computers interface with the world, and considers the InterCity 225s to have been true trailblazers for technology many times over during their careers.

Although still a proud Northerner, Jacob moved south to Cambridge when he started University there in 2013. He fell in love with the Fens and continues to work for the University as an IT Developer. Beyond his day job, he can be found developing his award-winning entrepreneurial endeavours, or presenting programmes and running training sessions for community radio station Cam FM. In his spare time, Jacob enjoys the theatre and never needs much persuasion to head into town for some local beer after shows.

Angus Duncan
Marketing & Comms Editor

Angus has worked in the railway industry since November 2013. He started as onboard catering crew with TransPennine Express while studying for a degree in journalism at Edinburgh Napier University. Since graduating in 2016, Angus has held a variety of positions with several train operating companies, which even included working on InterCity 225s for a few years. His current role is in communications, specialising in social media messaging and content.

Angus grew up on the Fife coast next to the mainline that links Edinburgh and Aberdeen. He originally fell in love with the InterCity 125s that passed several times a day, but then developed a fondness for their electric cousins during holidays in Northumberland and through his work onboard the trains.

Away from work, Angus is training to be a guard at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway. He's also a keen photographer and often travels the length and breadth of the country in pursuit of trains, aeroplanes and ferries. Angus now lives next to the East Coast Mainline (ECML) near Edinburgh with his partner and cat.

Angus is a key member of the 225 Group marketing team; his knowledge and experience helping to plan and produce content for our various channels of communication.

Will Quibell
Marketing & Comms Assistant

Will has been interested in railways since he was a little boy. He grew up in Surbiton, just a short distance from London, so he has many memories of seeing trains passing through the busy Clapham Junction station. Will also made frequent childhood trips to Helensburgh in Scotland to visit family, and his father’s dislike for tilting Pendolinos on the West Coast Mainline (WCML) meant that many were made by InterCity 225 on the East Coast Mainline (ECML). It was then that Will's passion for InterCity 225s began to develop.

Will moved to Eastbourne in 2014 and his interest in railways went with him. Four years later, in 2018, he set up as Coastway Will on Twitter and his railway adventures have since attracted more than 5,000 followers. Will was one of the first EXCEL members of the 225 Group and joined the management team as Marketing & Communications Assistant in 2022, bringing with him his passion for social media as well as extensive design skills.

When Will isn't travelling between London, Leeds and York on InterCity 225s he can be found on Hastings Diesel’s Thumper set. Away from the railway, Will enjoys musical theatre and has a keen interest in photography.

Dan Wright
Designer

Dan is our Graphic Designer and has brought a huge amount of creative skills and IT experience to the 225 Group. He works alongside Jacob, Angus and Will in our busy marketing and communications team, but also supports Ian with the production of our bi-annual LiveWire magazine.

Dan is the son of our Honorary Director Graeme Wright, and like his father has a great passion for InterCity 225s. Dan works for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) as a Safety and Operations Apprentice based in York. In his spare time, Dan is often at the lineside with his camera and his pictures have featured in both the railway press and 225 Group publications. At weekends, he can be regularly found at the Stadium of Light watching Sunderland AFC.

Patrick Jenkins
Operations Assistant

Patrick grew up near the East Coast Mainline (ECML) and has been interested in railways for most of his life. He joined the 225 Group management team in February 2021, and as Operations Assistant is responsible for collecting and recording a wide range of information about the InterCity 225s. This includes the diagrams and fleet lists on our website as well as the allocations that appear on social media and in the 225 Group archive.

Patrick is also a keen photographer with a good eye for detail, and his pictures feature in the 225 Group members' magazine LiveWire as well as other publicity. Patrick recently completed A-levels in French, Geography, Drama and Theatre and is now studying for a degree in Transport Management. He one day hopes to start a career on the railway.

Aidan Wilson
Administrative Assistant

Aidan's interest in railways goes back to time spent as a youngster perched on a bench at East Boldon station watching the varied traction on the Durham Coast Line. His love of InterCity 225s started with a visit to Newcastle in 2007, when he was impressed by the trains in their navy blue and red Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) livery.

Aidan left school when he was 16 and now works as a Performance Station Assistant for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) based at Durham. InterCity 225s have been a big feature of his role watching over the platforms, as they made regular appearances at Durham until Summer 2020. Aidan hopes to develop his career with LNER, and if you're ever passing through Durham don’t be afraid to stop him and say hello!

As Administrative Assistant, Aidan manages our busy mailbox, which is often the 'first port of call' for people wishing to contact the 225 Group. He also looks after many other day-to-day functions and hopes to help strengthen the relationship between the 225 Group and LNER. In his spare time, Aidan is an operational volunteer for the North Tyneside Steam Railway and a scout leader for his local group. He can also often be found in his garage tinkering with his ever growing "OO" gauge model railway.

Jen Campbell
Membership Secretary

Jen has been interested in trains since she was a child and vaguely remembers playing with her Dad's model railway and reading his collection of 'World of Trains' magazines. She also enjoyed frequent visits to Newcastle station while travelling to see family who lived in other parts of the country.

Jen has always liked InterCity 225s, but her passion for the trains really came to life when she met a new partner, now wife, who lived in Essex before moving to the northeast. This gave Jen the opportunity to make many trips between Newcastle and London, and she thinks there’s so much to love about the InterCity 225s (not least the roar of the Class 91 locomotives). Jen even owns several standard class and first class seats, bringing the comfort of the Mark 4 carriages into her home.

Jen became an Excel member of the 225 Group when the membership scheme opened in June 2021, and from the outset expressed an interest in playing a bigger role in the organisation. She has administrative experience working for HM Revenue and Customs, a strong eye for detail and good organisation skills, which make her the perfect person for the role of Membership Secretary.