Network Rail has appointed Jonathan Crick to join its property division, as commercial director of retail. Mr Crick will have overall responsibility for retail within the organisation, with a focus on driving retail investment at Network Rail’s 17 managed stations, including Britain’s busiest – King’s Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo. The role also oversees advertising, car parks and other commercial contracts at stations.

Network Rail’s director of property David Biggs said: “Britain relies on rail, and commercial revenue is a vital funding stream for Network Rail. We are at a crucial phase in delivering our vision for retail, as we work to create ever better environments for passengers and shoppers, transforming stations into destinations in their own right. Jonathan’s extensive commercial experience across the travel sector will be a major asset to our team, helping us to achieve our commercial goals and deliver even greater value for the British people.”

Joining from BAA, Mr Crick currently holds the post of commercial director at Stansted Airport, responsible for retail, property and aviation. Previous roles include easyBus where he was CEO and Monarch Airlines where he held a number of senior positions, most recently sales and marketing director. He joins Network Rail in January.

Mr Crick said: “Hundreds of millions of passengers pass through Network Rail’s managed stations every year. That represents a massive opportunity for retail businesses and the challenge is to create inspiring environments that can capture the imagination of the public, make them want to spend more time there, thus enabling businesses to thrive.

The success of recent developments that have transformed some of our best known and most used railway stations serves to demonstrate the extent of the opportunity at other major stations. There is huge scope to broaden the range of retail businesses represented, all of which will help Network Rail to grow what has become an increasingly important source of revenue.”

During the last three years, Network Rail has generated over £390m of revenue from retail activity. The total revenue forecast for all property activities over a five-year period ending March 2014, including business estate and developments, is £1.3bn. All profits are reinvested straight back into the railway, reducing the cost to taxpayers and passengers.