The leading conference for the UK rail industry
16 March 2022
Hilton Tower Bridge, London
Accelerate: Rail 2022 returns at a crucial moment as the industry faces its greatest reform since privatisation. This year we’re bringing together industry-leading speakers, delivering cutting-edge content, and the opportunity to network with innovators from across UK rail.
Now is the time to reflect, collaborate and gain insight on the sector’s transition to Great British Railways while hearing the strategies that will boost your post-pandemic recovery, improve passenger experience, and enhance your digital and sustainability initiatives.
Speakers
Chris Heaton-Harris
Minister of State, Department for Transport
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer, Network Rail
Mark Thurston
Chief Executive Officer, HS2
Jacqueline Starr
Chief Executive Officer, Rail Delivery Group
Tricia Williams
Chief Operating Officer, Northern Rail
John Larkinson
Director, ORR
Richard Allan
Managing Director, Chiltern Railways
Claire Mann
Managing Director, South Western Railway
Agenda
Accelerate Rail 2022
Session One | Great British Railways: A New Direction for the Rail Industry
Keynote
Mapping out an ambitious vision: The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail
Chris Heaton-Harris
Minister of State
Department for Transport
Interview
A guiding mind: setting out the route map from Network Rail to GBR
- Assessing progress so far: what steps have been made and what’s next on the agenda?
- What is Network Rail’s vision of interaction between GBR and TOCs, and how will this work in practice?
- Putting the passenger first: what will putting the passenger at the heart of operations look like in action?
- Collaborating on the transition: what more could the industry do to smooth the way?
- The trajectory of reform: what key milestones should different parts of the industry be working towards?
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer
Network Rail
Interview
Regulation in a time of extraordinary change for rail
- From the pandemic to PR23: what lessons are shaping ORR’s vision for the future?
- How can existing and new regulation support the change and help the industry on this journey?
- How might the role of regulator need to evolve as GBR becomes a reality, and how might this affect the design of PR23?
John Larkinson
Chief Executive Officer
Office of Rail and Road
Leaders’ Forum
Great British Railways: coming together under the new structure
- Will this reform drive the efficiencies required from the industry?
- A new way of working: what will the relationship between GBR and TOCs look like?
- Putting the passenger first: how will excellent passenger experience be incentivised under GBR and who will drive it?
- How will local decision-making be enabled under the new structure?
- The future of freight: after playing a vital role to keep the country moving during the pandemic, will freight be cut a fair deal under GBR?
- Breaking down traditions: can reform facilitate the cultural shift the industry needs to fuel innovation?
- Ten years down the line: what does the rail industry look like under GBR?
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer
Network Rail
Claire Mann
Managing Director
South Western Railway
John Larkinson
Director
ORR
Refreshments
Session Two | Building Back Better
Panel discussion
Putting rail at the heart of UK transport: strategies for recovery, stability and prosperity
- From road to rail: how can TOCs encourage passengers back onto trains in the post-pandemic world?
- Staying on the right track: how might passenger behaviours continue to evolve and how can the industry remain up to date with wants and needs?
- Flexible and straightforward: in what ways does ticketing need to evolve to fit new travel patterns?
- Collaborating on cost: how can the industry foster collaboration to bring down the cost of rail?
- Making investments in infrastructure that will last: where do the challenges and opportunities lie?
- Becoming operationally greener: what role will environmental goals play in building a strong and efficient industry?
- The future under GBR: how can innovation be fuelled under the new body?
Tricia Williams
Chief Operating Officer
Northern Rail
Suzanne Donnelly
Programme Director
Rail Revenue Recovery Group, GBR Transition Team
Jacqueline Starr
Chief Executive Officer
Rail Delivery Group
Fireside chat
Ticketing and fares: progress in the post-pandemic world
- Forecast of revenue: what does the current state of ticketing and fares look like?
- Fit for purpose and flexible: how must ticketing and fares evolve to serve new travel patterns?
- Digital ticketing: what progress is being made in streamlining customer journeys?
- Will the new structure ensure passengers get the best deal for their journey?
Oliver Owens
Deputy Commercial Director & Head of Revenue Management
Great Western Railway
Keynote
Lessons from the pandemic: working together to build back better
The pandemic radically changed the way the industry had to operate. As collaboration became the key tool to keep services running, a seemingly impossible culture of working together became possible almost overnight. The industry must build upon this experience if it wants to forge a truly efficient and passenger centric industry. In this keynote, Richard speaks on how Chiltern Railways have taken on lessons learned over the past two years to foster a collaborative culture that drives innovation and puts the customer first.
Richard Allan
Managing Director
Chiltern Railways
Lunch
Session Three
The digital railway: signaling a better future for the industry
Case study
Transformation of the railways: digital signalling strategies
Technology is essential in facilitating an efficient and safer network for operators and passengers alike. With a significant proportion of signalling equipment needing replacement over the next 15 years, the industry must ensure it’s prepared to maximise investments during this period. In this case study, Toufic shares his insights from his work on the East Coast Digital Programme in the pursuit of a safer, reliable, and more resilient network.
Toufic Machnouk
Director, Industry Partnership for Digital Railway
Network Rail
Panel discussion
Building the digital railway: executing the successful delivery of technology across the network
- Assessing the progress so far: what has worked well and what more needs to be done?
- What are the challenges and barriers to adopting new technologies and facilitating innovation?
- Speeding up implementation: how will GBR facilitate greater efficiencies to drive the building of the digital railway?
- Identifying the right technologies: what holds the most potential and how do you know which is the right choice?
- The future of maintenance: where can digitalisation streamline operations?
- Providing a reliable and resilient network: what does the digital railway mean for passenger experience?
- Looking ahead: what does successful implementation of the digital railway look like and how will we know when it’s been achieved?
John Doughty
Engineering Director
LNER
Oliver Turner
Head of ERTMS
Govia Thameslink Railway
Passenger experience: making passengers the priority
Keynote
A new normal for passenger behaviour: adapting to serve the modern customer
The pandemic has rapidly changed the wants and needs of passengers, with expectations of operators continuing to evolve. From increased capacity on trains and hygiene measures, to flexible ticketing and digital information, understanding future passenger demands are essential to providing an excellent service. In this keynote, Sharon will dive into Transport Focus’ research on evolving customer behaviours and speaks on how the industry must adapt to provide excellent service to the modern passenger.
Sharon Hedges
Senior Stakeholder Manager
Transport Focus
Interview
Stations for the future: serving passengers and the communities they live in
- From the decline of the commuter to Covid anxieties: how have passenger trends influenced station development strategies?
- The station as a community hub: what benefits can this bring to TOCs?
- Mobility-as-a-Service: how can better transport connectivity support the community and industry as a whole?
Tom Moran
Managing Director
Great Northern Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway
Panel discussion
Putting the passenger first: providing truly excellent customer experience
- Becoming a customer centric industry: what does it really mean to put the passenger first?
- Getting the basics right: how can TOCs ensure a safe, reliable, and flexible journey?
- In what ways will TOCs need to adapt to meet the demands of post-pandemic travel patterns?
- From buying a ticket to arriving at their destination: how can TOCs provide passengers with seamless journeys?
- Investing on-board: what technologies can be used to enhance on-board digital experience?
- Meeting every need: what more needs to be done to improve accessibility and support vulnerable passengers?
- Putting the passenger at the heart of industry operations: what will the new structure mean for the future of passenger experience in rail?
Eleni Jordan
Commercial & Customer Director
Chiltern Railways
Martin Moran
Commercial, Customer Services Director & Train Presentation Director
Abellio Greater Anglia
Abu Siddeeq
Head of Customer Experience Strategy
LNER
Refreshments
An update on HS2
Keynote
HS2: Building Britain’s Largest Infrastructure Project
Mark Thurston
Chief Executive Officer
HS2
Session 4 | Rail's role in sustainable transport: getting to net-zero
Panel discussion
Leading the way in sustainable travel: strategies for decarbonisation
- Reflecting on the outcomes of COP26: how far do rail’s sustainability plans align with wider climate initiatives and what adaptions might the industry need to make
- A sustainable choice: how can the industry promote rail as a clean choice of travel to passengers?
- Future hubs: how can stations be adapted and developed to become operationally greener?
- Battery, electric, or hydrogen: identifying the right solutions in the right places
- Fleet modernisation: how are sustainability initiatives impacting rolling stock companies?
- Grasping the opportunity: how can rail become the UK leader in sustainable transport?
Richard Thorp
Director of Engineering & Sustainability
HS1
Maggie Simpson OBE
Director General
Rail Freight Group
David Clarke
Technical Director
Railway Industry Association
Drinks reception
Tickets
All tickets include:
1 day conference pass, lunch & refreshments and a drinks reception
Group Discount
15% off
When you buy 3 or more tickets
Standard
save £300 Early Bird Until 17 December
£895.00 + VAT
Full Price £1,195.00 + VAT
TOCs & Public Sector*
save £300 Early Bird Until 17 December
£295.00 + VAT
Full Price £595.00 + VAT
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