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Time Date	System Updates
Update 1514 1 September 2026	New HOPS Directors Appointed Hello everyone, Here is an update on the HOPS succession planning activities. I am pleased to say that progress is now taking place at a good pace. Thank you to everyone who has given feedback throughout this process, and the many subscribers who have contributed their views and aspirations. As previously advertised, I am concentrating on re-structuring the management of HOPS. As previously advertised, I have appointed Alexander Seal to replace me as Program Manager. This officially takes place on 28 September but there will be a steady hand-over over a period of a few months to ensure continuity. Alex has been involved in HOPS for many years and has an very good understanding of the system, so I am confident he is well placed to take HOPS forward. Furthermore, a new team of directors is now being appointed. The directors will provide strategy direction for HOPS, remove a potential single point of risk from having one person in charge, and ensure that big decision-making is scrutinised and controlled. I hope this addresses some of the concerns about management structure that have been highlighted during the discussions on HOPS succession planning. The new directors are: * Rob Green Rob is one of the founding HOPS Admins (he has been serving long enough to have a three-digit U number!). He has been involved with HOPS for many years both as a HOPS Admin at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and through being involved in internal discussions about many HOPS developments. Rob was closely-involved in the original competence elements implementation in 2016. Rob has a lot of experience of governance and commercial both in a volunteer capacity and in his professional main-line role, bringing valuable skills to the table. * Graham Hukins Graham has very wide experience in heritage railway and wider tourism and commercial management, including in his current role as the General Manager of the North Norfolk Railway, which is a big HOPS user, and one of the largest users of the retail systems. Graham's business management expertise, especially in contexts outside heritage railways, will be very useful in HOPS's continued business development. * Ernest Elsworth-Wilson Ernest has also been a senior user of HOPS for a more than ten years, through his various roles at the South Devon Railway where he is now General Manager. Ernest has a background in main-line operations management as well as nearly all aspects of operating and locomotive work on heritage railways. * David Nelson-Brown David is Managing Director of Bodmin Railway, as well as running his own 15-inch narrow-gauge railways at Perrygrove and at Evesham, giving over 20 years of experience in managing both volunteer and employed railway business and financial management. It should be noted that the directors are appointed to represent the interests of HOPS and its users, they are not representatives of their home railways. All are committed to ensuring HOPS provides long-term benefit to the sectors and communities it serves through the provision and development of services and technology that meet the needs of its customers and users. We will arrange a get-to-know-you Teams meeting for the railways, Alexander and the directors to introduce themselves as soon as they are all in post. There are no other planned staff changes as a result of this, so the technical expertise and developers building and maintaining HOPS remains the same, as does the customer service staff. If you wish to, you can view details of the rest of the HOPS team here: https://www.hops.org.uk/about_team.php I will also be a director in the very short term to ensure corporate memory is maintained. After that I will remain available for assistance or background knowledge if required. If you have any questions about any of the succession planning activities going on please contact me or Alex or any of the new directors above. Thank you very much again Danny Scroggins

Time Date

System Updates

Update 1514
1 September 2026

New HOPS Directors Appointed

Hello everyone,

Here is an update on the HOPS succession planning activities. I am pleased to say that progress is now taking place at a good pace. Thank you to everyone who has given feedback throughout this process, and the many subscribers who have contributed their views and aspirations. As previously advertised, I am concentrating on re-structuring the management of HOPS.

As previously advertised, I have appointed Alexander Seal to replace me as Program Manager. This officially takes place on 28 September but there will be a steady hand-over over a period of a few months to ensure continuity. Alex has been involved in HOPS for many years and has an very good understanding of the system, so I am confident he is well placed to take HOPS forward.

Furthermore, a new team of directors is now being appointed. The directors will provide strategy direction for HOPS, remove a potential single point of risk from having one person in charge, and ensure that big decision-making is scrutinised and controlled. I hope this addresses some of the concerns about management structure that have been highlighted during the discussions on HOPS succession planning.

The new directors are:

* Rob Green

Rob is one of the founding HOPS Admins (he has been serving long enough to have a three-digit U number!). He has been involved with HOPS for many years both as a HOPS Admin at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and through being involved in internal discussions about many HOPS developments. Rob was closely-involved in the original competence elements implementation in 2016. Rob has a lot of experience of governance and commercial both in a volunteer capacity and in his professional main-line role, bringing valuable skills to the table.

* Graham Hukins

Graham has very wide experience in heritage railway and wider tourism and commercial management, including in his current role as the General Manager of the North Norfolk Railway, which is a big HOPS user, and one of the largest users of the retail systems. Graham's business management expertise, especially in contexts outside heritage railways, will be very useful in HOPS's continued business development.

* Ernest Elsworth-Wilson

Ernest has also been a senior user of HOPS for a more than ten years, through his various roles at the South Devon Railway where he is now General Manager. Ernest has a background in main-line operations management as well as nearly all aspects of operating and locomotive work on heritage railways.

* David Nelson-Brown

David is Managing Director of Bodmin Railway, as well as running his own 15-inch narrow-gauge railways at Perrygrove and at Evesham, giving over 20 years of experience in managing both volunteer and employed railway business and financial management.

It should be noted that the directors are appointed to represent the interests of HOPS and its users, they are not representatives of their home railways. All are committed to ensuring HOPS provides long-term benefit to the sectors and communities it serves through the provision and development of services and technology that meet the needs of its customers and users.

We will arrange a get-to-know-you Teams meeting for the railways, Alexander and the directors to introduce themselves as soon as they are all in post. There are no other planned staff changes as a result of this, so the technical expertise and developers building and maintaining HOPS remains the same, as does the customer service staff. If you wish to, you can view details of the rest of the HOPS team here: https://www.hops.org.uk/about_team.php

I will also be a director in the very short term to ensure corporate memory is maintained. After that I will remain available for assistance or background knowledge if required.

If you have any questions about any of the succession planning activities going on please contact me or Alex or any of the new directors above.

Thank you very much again

Danny Scroggins

Generated at 12:17:11 03/09/2026