Olympic infrastructure chief is frontrunner for Network Rail job

David Higgins, chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), has emerged as a favourite to be named the next head of Network Rail. Sources suggest Higgins's name is expected to be presented to the board today, with a senior Corus executive also on the list. A decision could be made imminently. More than 500 people are understood to have applied for the role to replace the incumbent, Iain Coucher, with about 80 considered serious candidates. The government-backed operator has more than 70 public members, who perform a similar role to shareholders in the not-for-profit private company, such as approving appointments and Network Rail's strategic direction. Higgins, an Australian, was chief executive of Lend Lease Group, a property group whose developments included the Sydney Olympic Park and Bluewater shopping centre, Kent. He is also a former chief executive of English Partnerships, the government's national regeneration agency. The ODA's chairman, John Armitt, was himself a previous chief executive of Network Rail. In 2007 he moved to the ODA, which is the public body responsible for developing and building the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and their use after 2012.