Conference themes

A Conference for Collaboration and Ideas

The UK Rail conference brings together voices from across the industry - operators, infrastructure leaders, rolling stock manufacturers, and technology partners - all committed to driving progress in rail.

Designed to inspire conversation and spark collaboration, the conference provides a space to tackle shared challenges, exchange ideas, and explore what’s next for UK and international rail.

With eight focused themes, there’s something for everyone - from customer experience and digital innovation to sustainability and decarbonisation. Whatever your role in the rail ecosystem, this is where new thinking takes shape.

Julie Gregory
Regional Head of Resilience and Sustainable Growth
Network Rail

Robert Hanczor
CEO
Piper Networks
Sarah Heywood
Digital Service Lead
London North Eastern Railway

David Hughes
CEO
East West Rail
John Larkinson
Chief Executive Officer
Office of Rail and Road

Francois Le Doze
Chief Commercial Officer
Eurostar International Ltd
Maria Machancoses
Chief Executive Officer
Midlands Connect

Tom Painter
General Manager
West Midlands Rail Executive
Odis Palmer
Industry Inclusion and Belonging Lead
DfT Operator

James Richardson
Managing Director
Transpennine Route Upgrade
Hannah Ross
CEO
Scottish Rail Holdings

Sandeep Shingadia
Executive Director of Transport for West Midlands
Transport for West Midlands
Nicola Small
VLR Programme Director
Transport for West Midlands (TFWM)

Jez Smith
Rail Data Marketplace Lead
Rail Delivery Group
Graham Sutherland
CEO
First Group

Emily Yates
Director; Head of Accessibility and Inclusive Design
Mima Design
Richard Allan
Managing Director
Chiltern Railways

Simon Blainey
Professor of Sustainable Transport
University of Birmingham, BCRRE, UKRRIN
Ruth Busby OBE
People Director
Govia Thameslink Railway

Adrian Carrington
Head of Customer Integration
Transport for Wales Rail Services
Daisy Chapman Chamberlain
Rail Services Lead
Rail North Partnership

David Choda
Principal Engineer
Network Rail
Anjali Devadasan
Founder & CEO
Treeva Ltd

Mal Drury-Rose
West Midlands Rail Executive
James Dzimba
Chief Control, Command & Signalling Engineer
Network Rail

Huw Edwards
Delivery Director - Stations & Placemaking
HS2
Simon Elliott
Network Director for Rail
Transport for Greater Manchester

Vernon Everitt
Transport Commissioner Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
John Glass
Director Infrastructure and Project
Translink

William Godfrey
Director - Economics, Finance & Market
Office of Rail and Road
James Hammett
Managing Director
UKTram Ltd

Liam Henderson
Chair
The Rail Innovation Group
Sarah Higgins
Operations Director
Transport for Wales

Afra Hope
Commercial Growth Manager
Northern
Chris Jeffery
Accessibility & Transport Integration Manager
TransPennine Express

Alex Kirk
Commercial Director
GB Railfreight
Huw Merriman
Chair of High Speed Rail Group, Former Rail Minister
High Speed Rail Group

Richard Moody
Programme Director (Freight Reform)
Network Rail
Clare Morrissey
Commercial Lead
Rail Delivery Group

Paul Plummer
Professor Emeritus, Lead
University of Birmingham, BCRRE, UKRRIN
Phil Smart
Assistant Policy Manager
Rail Freight Group

Richard Thorp
COO
London St. Pancras Highspeed
Rob Whyte
UK MD
Alstom