The grand opening of St Pancras station was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and the prime minister, Gordon Brown.
[2][5][6] Holden was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to the rail industry.
"It's time in my career to fulfil my ambition for a portfolio of non-executive jobs," Holden told the Daily Telegraph.
Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, paid tribute saying "Rob has been a great champion for Crossrail during his time in charge of the project, taking it from Royal Assent to the start of construction.
Thanks to Rob a robust management structure is in place which will ensure the project will continue successfully and will transform London’s transport landscape.