After being voted out of office in May 1998 to be replaced by left wing candidate Mick Rix,Rail union votes for socialist boss BBC News - 6 May 1998 Adams joined Virgin Trains as a training manager. In 2003 Adams was campaign manager for right-wing candidate Shaun Brady's unexpectedly successful campaign to be elected ASLEF General Secretary, defeating the incumbent Rix. Brady was removed from office the following year after a bitter dispute with the union's Executive Committee.
