Former head of train services at Heathrow Express, Sophie Chapman, has been appointed director of the company.

Chapman brings a wealth of experience from her roles in customer service, the rail industry, and at Heathrow Express.

Having joined Heathrow Express as head of customer service in 2018, later becoming head of operations, she then rose to head of train services at Heathrow Express before taking on the business lead role from Les Freer, who is moving out of the sector.

Previously to her Heathrow experience, Chapman has worked at Govia as an independent consultant and completed a successful 22-year career with Eurostar, rising to head of on-board services.

In that role she was responsible for safety, train managers, catering crews, logistics and business lounges after a previous role of head of stakeholder relationships working with partners in the UK, France and Belgium.

Chapman said: “I’m delighted to be taking on the role of director at Heathrow Express and leading our fantastic team at a pivotal time in our 22-year history.

“This has been a challenging period for the transport sector but we’re now looking forward to customers reviving their travel plans and have introduced a range of measures to help customers enjoy our non-stop, dedicated airport service with peace of mind.”