Interview: Jonathan Dunster on early retirement and rail's future

Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster has held the top job in three parts of the railway industry. David Clough explores the career of this redoubtable railwayman.

In this interview:

• Dunster on why he's taking early retirement
• Organising diesel festivals
• Why heritage railways will have to offer more than rail journeys

Jonathan Dunster - Gus to his friends - has held the top job in contrasting parts of the railway industry.

Until 2022, when he retired, he was executive director for operations and safety on Avanti West Coast’s board. His remit covered everything ‘operations’, including Fleet and Engineering, as well as responsibility for contracts with the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Alstom. That followed a career which started in the booking office at Paddington in 1987.

Now, instead of worrying about the West Coast Main Line, he runs the heritage Severn Valley Railway as its managing director. And he is busy increasing its links with the modern system - not least with a training agreement between the Kidderminster line and Network Rail. He has also played a leading role in diesel preservation.

Such a background makes Dunster ideally suited to comment on different aspects of the industry, such as current contractual arrangements on the railways.

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