Timothy Peter Gilbert, known as Tim Gilbert, was born in 1958. He undertook the British Rail Engineering Scholarship Management Training Scheme between 1976 and 1981. He then took on British Rail rolling stock engineering depot management roles of increasing responsibility, latterly as Depot Engineer at Toton from 1981 to 1990. He then worked as Trainload Coal Business Manager in the East Midlands from 1990 to 1992. He then became the Personal Assistant to the British Railways Board Chairman in 1993 and then worked as Train Leasing (ROSCO) Project Engineer for British Rail from 1993 to 1994. He then joined Porterbrook Leasing as Senior Commercial Manager, serving in this capacity from 1994 to 1997, before becoming Porterbrook’s Engineering Director between 1997 to 2016.