The leading event for the UK rail industry
March 2021
London
Get up to speed on the most pressing issues facing the British rail industry – the event which offers unique access to leading figures from TOCs, ROSCOs, Network Rail and a whole host of transport bodies from across the UK.
Accelerate: Rail 2020 came at a water-shed moment for the rail industry to reflect on the significance of 2019 and CP6, and made progressive strides towards the future. In March 2020 we explored key themes including:
Customer experience
Unpack the phrase ‘Put Passengers First’ – learn from Transport Focus and the Rail Delivery Group and be inspired by leaders such as Southeastern, who have been unafraid to break the status quo and deliver unprecedented results for their customers.
Regional devolution
Get an update on CP6’s new regional model from Network Rail‘s CEO, hear about vertical integration from Transport for Wales and take home insights from powerful Northern leaders on how you can increase regional accountability and engage local decision making.
De-carbonisation
Sustainability, investing in alternative fuels and going green is high on everyone’s agenda – don’t miss these honest sessions from Lilian Greenwood MP, Transport Scotland and Porterbrook about making green choices for future generations.
The future of ticketing
Two new and exclusive case studies from LNER’s Fare Reform and Trainline’s CEO speaking about the role of AI in the ticketing experience – find out how you can use live tweets to predict disruption and big data to predict price rises for journeys.
The Digital Railway
Technology is overhauling rail infrastructure and planning strategically for future technological innovation is imperative. Unmissable insights from Banedenmark and the National Skills Academy Rail will show you how to attract a skilled, gender-balanced workforce to construct the Digital Railway, and how you can implement a digital railway across the entire rail network.
Mobility-as-a-Service
Look beyond the tracks and seek to understand how rail will link up with other modes of public transport in the future. Presentations from Transport for West Midlands and ViaVan will explore how TOCs can meet evolving passenger expectations for seamless travel, including collaborating with firms such as Uber to provide ‘first and last mile’ services.
Speakers
Chris Heaton-Harris
Minister of State, Department for Transport
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer, Network Rail
Lilian Greenwood MP
Member, Transport Select Committee
John Larkinson
Chief Executive Officer, Office of Rail and Road
Tim Shoveller
Regional Managing Director for North West and Central, Network Rail
Steve White
Chief Operating Officer, GTR
Dyan Crowther
Chief Executive Officer, High Speed 1
Tom Joyner
Managing Director, CrossCountry Trains
Agenda
With three tracks covering six key topics, we are making sure you can tailor your programme to tackle your most urgent objectives.
- All Topics
Accelerate: Rail Conference Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Chair's opening remarks - Paul Clifton, Transport Correspondent, BBC
Providing answers - the Williams Review and CP6
Interview
Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail
- One year in: what have been the greatest successes of CP6 so far and what does the future hold?
- ‘Putting passengers first’: has customer service become an ingrained ethos at Network Rail?
- How will Network Rail ensure the success of CP6 devolution and increased regional accountability?
- Frustration with franchising: do we finally have a solution that works for stakeholders?
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer , Network Rail
Changing Track: The Future of Rail in the UK
- Looking ahead, what steps must the rail industry take to remain integral to the UK transport system?
- CP6: are the current planning horizons sufficient to help ensure Rail is fit for the long-term future?
- Putting passengers first is central to the agenda – are we clear on what they really want? And how to deliver it?
- What are the data, technology and cultural innovations that can guarantee that the industry’s future will be brighter than its past?
Charlotte Warburton
Global Head of Rail , PA Consulting
Leaders’ forum
Reforming rail: increasing trust and performance
- The current state of British Rail – what works, what doesn’t and what needs to be improved?
- What is the right level of Government involvement in day-to-day operations of the rail industry?
- Would greater ‘vertical integration’ between track and train improve the UK system?
- Increasing regional accountability: is devolution the answer?
- How can the Government encourage more long-term investment from the private sector?
- How can cross-industry collaboration facilitate change and find solutions?
- 5 years ahead: what does the future of British rail look like?
Andrew Haines
Chief Executive Officer , Network Rail
Dyan Crowther
Chief Executive Officer , High Speed 1
Steve White
Chief Operating Officer , GTR
Tom Joyner
Managing Director , CrossCountry Trains
Refreshments
Click here for our tracks: The Digital Railway | Regional Devolution | The future of ticketing
International spotlight | Banedenmark
Implementing a digital railway across the entire rail network
Since 2008, Denmark has been implementing digital signalling across its entire network. The investment in ETCS is a major step in the railway revolution and over the next 10-years will invest more than €3 billion in digitalisation and automation of its network through their European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) initiative. This case study offers a unique opportunity to understand the challenges that face rail network operators and the ways in which digital rail is set to revolutionise Denmark’s rail system.
Jan Schneider-Tilli
Programme Director - Signalling , Banedanmark
Working leaner and more efficiently through the use of mobile applications
In this presentation Dan discusses how implementing and using mobile technology can help operators, OEMs and other rail related businesses work smarter and streamline operations.
Dan Kong
Head of Business Development , Opinsta
Delivering digitalisation: the next generation of technology
- Driving efficiencies: in what areas will UK rail most benefit from new digital technologies?
- What are the greatest challenges and barriers to developing and implementing new innovations?
- When can we expect to see increased capacity on the railway and how much can realistically be delivered?
- What does the technology roadmap for a digital railway look like and how can it be achieved?
Alex Burrows
Managing Director , Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education
Preparing for the future: training a skilled workforce to construct the Digital Railway
- What are the benefits of building and investing in a highly-skilled workforce in the UK?
- Can the UK become a global leader in skills development?
- How can rail address the gender imbalance and increase diversity in the industry?
- Mind the skills gap: how can rail attract the talent and skills needed for the future of Digital Railway in the UK?
Neil Robertson
Chief Executive Officer , National Skills Academy for Rail
Case study | Wales
Vertical Integration: a sign of what’s to come?
In the first deal of its kind since privatisation in the 1990s, last year Network Rail sold off 137km of Valley Lines routes to the Welsh Government. Transport for Wales has promised to modernise the infrastructure and electrify the South Wales Metro. Has the deal provided an interesting model for Network Rail to implement vertical integration elsewhere in the UK? How will infrastructure ownership benefit Welsh rail? In this session Alexia sets out the pioneering vision of Transport for Wales.
Alexia Course
Director of Rail Operations , Transport for Wales
Devolution Revolution: evaluating the success of CP6’s regions
- One year on: what have been the biggest successes and challenges of the new regional model?
- How will the new model drive improvements and efficiency for Network Rail?
- How does the new system impact regional procurement and work with suppliers?
- How has greater devolution improved the commitment to ‘put passengers first’?
Tim Shoveller
Regional Managing Director for North West and Central , Network Rail
Panel discussion
Coordinating regional devolution
- How can Local Transport Authorities work to address ‘fragmentation’ and engage local decision making?
- Why is it important for rail to work with regional knowledge?
- How does rail fit into wider political devolution to the North?
- How can sub-national transport bodies cooperate to ensure joined up decision making?
- How can these benefits be passed on to the passenger?
- How can regional bodies make their voice heard in Westminster?
Alejandro Moreno Moya
Alliance Director , Midland Metro Alliance
Tim Shoveller
Regional Managing Director for North West and Central , Network Rail
Alexia Course
Director of Rail Operations , Transport for Wales
Delivering reform for passengers
- After the RDG fare consultation: what will it take for the industry to reform its fares?
- Is a simpler and more flexible fare system the key to a modern, customer focused railway?
Andy Bagnall
Director, Strategy & Communications , Rail Delivery Group
Hyper-connected RPA: the future of customer experience through E-ticketing
- What are the main challenges currently being faced by the industry?
- Enabling ‘Digital Fitness’ as a prerequisite for success
- Providing greater insights to create personalised ticketing experiences
- What is hyper automation & connected RPA?
- A day in the life of Joe: cashless, contactless, frictionless customer journey
Coreen Merryweather
Senior Account Director , Blue Prism
Case study | LNER
Cutting prices, not corners
In September 2019, LNER announced they would be simplifying the fares system between London and Edinburgh. The trial has seen the cost of single leg tickets almost halve. Suzanne explains how slashing ticket prices has created a more convenient, flexible and fairly priced experience for passengers and shares what others can learn from this success.
Suzanne Donnelly
Commercial and Marketing Director , LNER
Ask the experts
The future of rail ticketing
In this session, our expert speakers will take to the stage to answer questions about the future of ticketing. Visit Slido.com to submit questions to the panelists.
Topics covered will include:
- What do customers want from their ticketing experience?
- How can technology offer passengers’ greater choice, time and freedom with ticketing?
- What is the future of ticketing in the UK rail industry?
David Statham
Managing Director , Southeastern
Andy Bagnall
Director, Strategy & Communications , Rail Delivery Group
Coreen Merryweather
Senior Account Director , Blue Prism
Lunchtime Session
Lunchtime keynote | The future of rail
In this keynote Chris Heaton-Harris will explain the government’s vision for the future of British rail. Delegates can expect to hear about Northern’s franchise, beeching, accessibility, digital signalling, decarbonisation and the Williams Rail Review. At a momentous time of change for the industry, this final session will offer a moment of clarity and reflection, setting the tone for the years ahead.
Chris Heaton-Harris
Minister of State , Department for Transport
Lunch hosted by PA Consulting
Click here for our tracks: 'De-Carbonisation' and Rolling Stock | Mobility-as-a-Service and Station transformation | Customer Experience
Putting de-carbonisation at the top of the government agenda
- What is the Government’s policy on helping to de-carbonise rail in the UK?
- Electrification has stalled: what other sustainable options are the Government going to provide funding for?
- What lessons can the UK take from de-carbonisation success stories abroad?
- Looking ahead: how can the UK make the right investments in sustainable options for rail now?
Lilian Greenwood MP
Member , Transport Select Committee
Case study | Transport Scotland
Moving towards net zero emissions
This session covers Scotland’s approach to rail de-carbonisation – impressively 75% of passengers in Scotland already travel on zero-emission trains. Has Transport Scotland’s pipeline-based approach to rail project development helped the country move towards sustainable travel more effectively? Paving the way, Bill discusses the next steps for rail in Scotland to reach net zero emissions.
Bill Reeve
Director of Rail , Transport Scotland
Fireside chat
New rolling stock: revolutionising the railways
- How are concerns about sustainability impacting rolling stock decisions?
- What is the future of hydrogen trains in the UK?
- Can the UK become a global leader investing in sustainable rail options?
- How has freight been affected by stalled electrification?
- How can ROSCOs, Freight and TOCs facilitate cross-industry collaboration?
- To what extent does improved passenger experience override the difficulties and costs of extensive fleet renewal?
Maggie Simpson
Executive Director , Rail Freight Group
Mary Grant
Chief Executive Officer , Porterbrook
International spotlight | ProRail
Mobility-as-a-Service in the Netherlands
In the next 10 years, Dutch rail infrastructure owner, ProRail is planning to invest €3.5 billion in the renovation of existing stations and the construction of 10-20 new stations to cope with predicted passenger growth of up to 40%. At the top of the agenda is the need to create links between rail and other forms of public transport to build a seamless travel experience for passengers. In this session Astrid brings a Dutch perspective to the biggest challenges, design changes and technological advances set to shape the future of our train stations.
Astrid Bunt
Director of Stations , ProRail
Transforming stations to meet 21st century needs
- Optimising assets: what additional services can be provided at stations to enhance the customer experience and seamless travel?
- How can stations act as public transport hubs and facilitate MaaS?
- How can biometric technology be used to reduce the average passenger’s journey time through stations?
- How can data analysis help predict demand and model scenarios to better design future stations for passengers and staff?
Mike Luddy
Stations Director , High Speed 2
Fireside chat
Integrated futures: looking beyond the tracks
- Every rail journey is multi-modal: how can TOCs collaborate with firms such as Uber and CityMapper to provide ‘first and last mile’ services?
- How can GPS and live data provided by TOCs help passengers plan their journeys more effectively?
- How can technological innovation help solve the challenges of our increasingly complex transport network?
- What can rail learn from start-ups outside the industry?
Jess Oppetit
General Manager , ViaVan
Chris Lane
Head of Smart Travel , Transport for West Midlands
What does ‘putting passengers first’ mean in practice?
In this session Sharon discusses the main findings from the National Rail Passenger Survey. Each year Transport Focus consults more than 50,000 passengers about their experience of rail travel in the UK, and the report is used as a key performance indicator in most franchise competitions. Sharon explains what passengers want and expect from rail services, what strategies have been successful and what lessons can be learned going forwards.
Sharon Hedges
Franchise Programme Manager , Transport Focus
Case study | Southeastern
The success of Southeastern’s ambassadors
- Are simple solutions the most effective?
- What are the challenges of designing a new customer service culture?
- How can thinking ‘outside the box’ trigger innovative solutions to improve passenger experience?
- Engaging employees effectively: how can TOCs create an empowered and empathetic workforce?
Alvin Jackson
Customer Experience Champion , Southeastern
Faster internet streaming: meeting passenger demands for video
Along with increased mobile usage, consumer preferences are shifting away from linear TV and walled-garden video-on-demand (VOD) toward direct-to-consumer streaming internet video. Content providers like BBC, Amazon and Netflix have spent billions disrupting the traditional video model, but rail passengers have been largely unable to participate in this rich video ecosystems as operators have been hesitant to invest in expensive infrastructure. Technological advances are now enabling faster internet streaming without the increase in cellular costs. Join Siegfried as he assesses the benefits and business value for rail operators’ in this technological breakthrough.
Siegfried Luft
Co-Founder, President & CEO , Netskrt
Panel discussion
Investing in technology to improve customer experience
- From booking online to the on-board experience, how can TOCs create a seamless customer experience?
- Personalising the experience: how can TOCs provide real-time information to passengers in times of uncertainty?
- What technology can TOCs invest in to enhance on-board customer experience?
- Ensuring passengers walk away satisfied: how can TOCs design successful feedback mechanisms from the frontline?
Jacqueline Starr
Chief Operating Officer , Rail Delivery Group
Eleni Jordan
Commercial Director , Chiltern Railways
Martin Moran
Commercial and Customer Service Director , Abellio Greater Anglia
Refreshments
The future of British Rail
Keynote address
Evolving the role of the ORR
In this presentation John will discuss the evolving role of the ORR in British Rail. He’ll address key CP6 concerns and how the industry might change in the coming years. Topics covered include:
- How could ORR accountability and oversight evolve?
- Industry oversight: how will value for money be ensured?
- How can regulation take account of regional devolution?
John Larkinson
Chief Executive Officer , Office of Rail and Road
Chair's closing remarks and drinks reception
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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
£1,195.00 + VAT
TOCs & Public Sector*
£595.00 + VAT