Lytton(UK)
Sir Charles Wilfrid Newton, CBE, was a prominent British transport executive. He served as chairman of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation in Hong Kong during the 1980s and as chairman of London Regional Transport (now Transport for London) during the 1990s.[1][2][3]
Life
Early Life
Newton was born on 11 December 1928 in South Africa and received his primary and secondary education in Johannesburg. He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand and qualified as an accountant. He later served as managing director and CEO of the British building materials company Turner & Newall.[1][2]
Mass Transit Railway Corporation, Hong Kong
In March 1983, Newton left Turner & Newall and was appointed Chairman of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation in Hong Kong.[4] During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of the Island Line and jointly officiated its opening with then-Governor Sir Edward Youde at Tai Koo Station in May 1985.[5]
Newton also served as chairman of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange between 1986 and 1989[2], and was a non-executive director of HSBC Hong Kong.[6]
London Regional Transport
In 1989, Newton was appointed Chairman of London Regional Transport.[2][4] During his tenure, he championed the Jubilee Line Extension project. Experts who had previously worked on Hong Kong's MTR system, such as former MTR architect Roland Paoletti, were also hired for the project.[7][8]
After the 1987 King's Cross fire, London Regional Transport faced heavy criticism for complacency and neglect. The Northern Line was nicknamed the "Misery Line".[9][10] In a 1991 seminar, Newton described the Underground as "a shambles that is quite frankly appalling" and said that "the infrastructure has been neglected for 30 years".[1] He aimed to make the London Underground a "decent modern metro" within ten years.[11]
However, early 1990s recession led to declining ticket revenue, and cuts from the Treasury between 1993 and 1996 reduced funding by 30%, stalling progress. In a 1992 autumn statement, Newton expressed rare public anger at the Treasury’s failure to fulfill its £700 million commitment.[12] In March 1993, he authorized management to blame the government for deteriorating services.[13] He again criticized the government on television following the 1993 budget statement.[14]
Newton reached retirement age in 1994 at 65, but his chosen successor was rejected by the Treasury.[15][16] He stepped down in September 1994 and was succeeded by Peter Ford.[17]
Death
Newton died on 28 November 2012, aged 83.[1][2]
Honours
Newton was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1988 and knighted as a Knight Bachelor in 1993.[18][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-:0_1-0
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-:1_2-0
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-:2_3-0
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-:3_4-0
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-5
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-6
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-7
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-8
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-9
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-misery1_10-0
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-11
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-12
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-13
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-14
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-15
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-16
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-17
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%95%A6_(%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B)#cite_ref-18