<p>Former National Rail chief Vince Graham will direct a shake-up of New South Wales’s rail services.</p> <p>He has been appointed co-ordinator general of rail and an investigation of the Menangle bridge scandal is among his early priorities.</p> <p>Top state transport bureaucrat Michael Deegan was sacked on Wednesday, but later given a role as acting head of the Urban and Transport Planning Division of the new Department of Sustainable Natural Resources.</p> <p>Mr Graham appeared at a media conference on Saturday with transport services minister Michael Costa at Central Station.</p> <p>Mr Costa acknowledged that there had been a failure in the process over the dangerous rail bridge at Menangle not being closed sooner and said Mr Graham would investigate.</p> <p>Mr Costa denied that there had been a cover-up over the delayed closure of the dangerous bridge in the lead-up to the state election. </p> <p>Mr Graham said: "’These problems are most certainly not what you would expect from a modern rail system. </p> <p>"’To have a bridge like this come to light in this way seriously reflects on the processes of management. </p> <p>"’I will be investigating the matter immediately and those processes of management are going to be a priority."'</p> <p>There has been speculation that Mr Graham will oversee the merging of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation with State Rail.</p> <p>Mr Graham headed the independent inquiry into South Australia’s Salisbury level-crossing accident, but has been out of a permanent job since last year’s sale of National Rail to Toll and Patrick. </p> <p>Mr Mr Costa said in a statement last Wednesday that the transport portfolio needs more transparency and accountability.</p> <br />
