Jennifer Elevique is the Deputy Director within the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) responsible for leading four sections within its Rail Group. She is the DfT’s Programme Director for the East Coast Digital Programme (£3.45bn whole life cost: £1.9bn capital) which seeks to replace conventional signalling with digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line and the proposed follow on ‘Long Term Deployment Portfolio’ for promulgating digital signalling across the UK Rail Network.

Jennifer’s portfolio includes Rail environment policy which looks at all aspects of traction and non-traction decarbonization of rail, sustainability, biodiversity, recycling, air quality and noise pollution. She is also the DFT lead on Rail telecoms which includes providing governance for Network Rail’s Project Reach, a project exploring opportunities to collaborate with the private sector to improve telecommunications and connectivity on the Railway for operational and passenger benefits. She also covers depots and stabling policy to ensure the efficient maintenance of the Railway.

She has spoken on UK rail decarbonisation policy at the USA’s Federal Railroad Administration ‘On Track for Decarbonization’ Workshop- May 2023 and on both digital signalling and environment for a bilateral engagement in Japan in November 2023.

She joined DfT’s Rail group in December 2020, previously being Head of Finance Business Partners for the DfT’s Roads, Devolution and Motoring Group managing its £3.5Bn annual budget and providing financial advice to the policy teams for national and local roads, motoring, transforming cities, mobility, cycling and walking, and Covid interventions amongst other things.  Her background includes managing £1.5bn annual budgets;  scrutiny, approval and performance reporting of large Information superiority and technology projects over £100m, providing advice to Departmental Investment Boards, Ministers, Cabinet Office and HMT. She brings a multi-disciplinary approach to her portfolio utilising her accountancy, MBA and programme experience.