BALFOUR Beatty has announced that Richard Watts will join the group later this year, ahead of becoming MD of its UK rail business in January 2026.
Richard has 20 years’ experience in the rail sector. He will join from BAM Nuttall where he was rail sector director responsible for the overall performance and delivery of national rail frameworks, as well as for the company’s highways operations. Previously, Richard worked at TXM Plant, HS2 Ltd, Colas Rail and Network Rail, holding a number of senior leadership roles.
He will succeed Mick Rayner, who has worked at Balfour Beatty for over 27 years and been MD of the UK rail business since 2018. Mick will continue in this role until the end of this year, moving into a new part-time senior advisory role in January.
Richard Watts said, “It is an honour to join the Balfour Beatty team at this pivotal time as Great British Railways begins to reshape the industry. I look forward to working with Mick and the strong team he has built to help grow and strengthen what is already a fantastic business as we deliver the next chapter of the UK’s rail network.”
Balfour Beatty designs and maintains thousands of miles of the railways which connect communities. The company was recently reappointed as a key delivery partner on Network Rail’s eight-year Supply Chain Services’ framework, to supply, operate and maintain a fleet of tamping machines to support track renewal and maintenance projects across England, Scotland and Wales.
