Mark Hopwood is set to leave National Express Group to sort out the ailing intercity services at First's troubled Great Western franchise.

The yet to be announced recruitment of Hopwood, who is widely recognised as one of the industry's foremost operational managers, is a coup for First. The group is under pressure from ministers, the Department for Transport and user groups to make rapid improvements at its flagship Great Western operation. Turning round the intercity part of the franchise where punctuality is thought to be stubbornly stuck at around 75% of trains arriving on time, is the key to achieving a respectable level of performance.

In his current post as managing director of NEG's London Lines operation, Hopwood has made c2c the most punctual train operator in the UK. He is also known for making rapid improvements at Silverlink, at one point taking punctuality from 84% to 90% in a year.

Hopwood's arrival will mark the completion of a new senior management structure at Great Western, which has been put in place since high level responsibility for the franchise was transferred from First's deputy chief executive Dean Finch to rail division chief executive Andrew Haines this summer.

With Hopwood to lead the intercity section of the franchise, a high profile, powerful route director will oversee the three main business divisions. Thames Valley commuter services are headed by Mike Carroll, and Wessex by John Curley. Haines will continue in his temporary role as FGW chief operating officer overseeing the route directors on a day to day basis.

Haines is also understood to have recruited former colleague James Burt to replace Glenda Lamont as FGW's customer services director. Burt previously worked for Haines at South West Trains and he is currently SWT's operations director.

Senior First Group executives said one of the key areas for Hopwood to address would be forming a far more productive, less rulebook driven relationship with Network Rail to build trust and understanding on the ground, and ensure Network Rail possessions do not overrun. There is a feeling within First that further management reorganisation may be needed to achieve it.

The changes are regarded as long overdue by senior First executives. They have expressed surprise that chief executive Moir Lockhead allowed Finch and former managing director Alison Forster to carry on overseeing the franchise for so long and said that the continual poor performance at FGW hindered the group's bid to win new franchises this summer.

Meanwhile, National Express are understood to be deeply disappointed to have lost one of the rail industry's most respected and coveted young managers. Following NEG's loss of the London Lines' Silverlink franchise this summer, which came on top of the loss of WAGN last year, Hopwood was linked to a variety of jobs including the managing director's role at the new West Midlands franchise. NEG colleagues have speculated that one factor in Hopwood moving to Great Western is the possibility of taking the top job when Haines returns to head office. It is understood that David Franks, chief executive of NEG's trains division, failed in an attempt to talk Hopwood out of moving.

Hopwood's switch to Great Western sees him return to the railway where he began his career after graduating from Essex University. After joining British Rail just prior to privatisation, he initially worked as duty manager at Slough station before going on to work for Network Rail and First North Western.

Hopwood joined London Lines as operations director in 2004 when it comprised of Wagn, c2c and Silverlink. He took over as managing director of London Lines in 2006.

Hopwood has been lauded for the strong punctuality achieved at London Lines. He claims that this success was aided by looking at comparisons in other countries. He has also been influenced by Franks's highly successful formula of improving performance through insisting Network Rail agrees delay reduction targets, working closely with the company to help it achieve them, and "having a fight" with the infrastructure supplier if it fails to live up to expectations.

FGW's performance is in desperate need of improvement. Punctuality and customer satisfaction ratings have remained poor since First began the new Greater Western franchise in April 2006.