Marshall rides to Queens' rescue

STEVE MARSHALL, the man who took on the poisoned chalice of running Railtrack after the Hatfield disaster, today emerged after two years in the wilderness at another crisis-riven business - Queens Moat Houses.

He has taken on the chairmanship and is charged with leading a rescue strategic review at the troubled hotelier, replacing serial director Richard Jewson.

Marshall, 46, quit as chief executive of Railtrack when then Transport Secretary Stephen Byers forced it into administration in 2001.

On his resignation, Marshall said he 'did not want to be a chief executive at a Plc again'. Although the job at Queens Moat is a chairmanship, saving the business from collapse will be a full-time role.

Since leaving Railtrack, he has been working for animal conservation charities but he started looking to get back into the business world two months ago.

Marshall said: 'Railtrack was one hell of a process to go through and at the end of it I needed to take a sabbatical. But, inevitably, the appetite to get back returns.'

Marshall will be in charge of a strategic review that was launched in the summer, since when the shares have been suspended.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has been brought on board to bolster the review process.