CONFERENCE DELEGATE PASS - TransCityRail North 2026

Grab your name badge, breakfast and start your networking early.

Welcome to the event. We'll be kicking off shortly.

Rachel is a Project Director on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, Network Rail's £11.5bn programme transforming the railway between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield, delivering faster, more frequent and more reliable journeys across the North. She opens TransCityRail North with a keynote on the programme's progress and what it means for the region.

The Northern Growth Corridor represents one of the UK's most significant opportunities for economic growth, connecting the North's major cities, towns and innovation hubs through better infrastructure, investment and regional collaboration. Bringing together leaders from both the public and private sectors, this panel will explore how enhanced connectivity can unlock productivity, attract investment, accelerate housing and regeneration, and create new opportunities for communities across the region.

Sevadis designs, supplies and supports EV charging infrastructure across the UK, from single home chargers to multi-unit, load-balanced systems for fleets, workplaces and large developments. Their AC and DC charger range, backed by Sevadis Cloud management software and UK-based technical support, is built for organisations electrifying vehicle fleets and depots at scale, making the case directly relevant to rail operators and infrastructure owners as they decarbonise their own fleet and estate operations. Their session at TransCityRail North will set out how this experience can support the sector's transition to electrified fleets and smarter charging infrastructure.

Charlie leads on integration and strategy for the North of England at Network Rail's System Operator function, working to align regional rail priorities with national strategy and support delivery of a more connected, reliable network across the region. He joins TransCityRail North to share insight into how collaboration between public and private stakeholders can accelerate the North's rail transformation.

Grab a coffee, mid morning snack and a fist full of business cards during the first networking opportunity of the day.

Chris is Major Projects and TRU Director at TransPennine Express, where he has led major infrastructure and project delivery since 2016, including the operator's work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade. He has overseen milestones such as the reopening of Huddersfield station, the rollout of ETCS digital signalling on the Class 185 fleet and the extension of electric services into Greater Manchester, and he is currently leading the procurement of TPE's next generation of trains. Chris began his career at First North Western and Northern before moving into performance and programme roles at FirstGroup, and he holds an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School alongside fellowships with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Chartered Institute of Railway Operators. He speaks at TransCityRail North on progress and delivery on the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

How does infrastructure investment drive community growth – and how do community and economic development shape the case for future infrastructure spend? This panel brings together experts from the rail, transport, planning and regeneration sectors to unpack this two-way relationship.

Drawing on practical experience from across policing, intelligence and the transport sector, the session will demonstrate how OSINT can complement operational data, incident reporting and other intelligence sources to build a clearer picture of risk. It will explore how intelligence can move beyond awareness to deliver tangible outcomes, including identifying offenders and networks, developing evidential opportunities, supporting intelligence sharing with policing partners and enabling targeted police intervention and enforcement activity.

Gareth and Victor will also consider the importance of effective partnerships, proportionate intelligence gathering and strong information governance. Delegates will gain practical insight into how intelligence-led approaches can support prevention, disruption and greater resilience across increasingly complex transport environments.

Stephen will bring us up to date on how the £45 billion mega-project is providing a generational, stable pipeline of infrastructure work for suppliers across the North of England. Following the government's updated NPR commitments, He will provide vital visibility into procurement timelines and the phased rollout of new high-speed lines and station upgrades connecting Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield.For the regional supply chain, Through these insights we will get to undefrstand the long-term investment that will allow businesses to confidently invest in skills, workforce expansion, and modern methods of construction.  Crucially, Stephen will highlight how the development phase will foster collaborative partnerships, allowing local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) to integrate into the tier-one delivery structure and drive economic growth across the North.

Grab your lunch, talk to the speakers about how you can help with their challenges and network with new customers.

Simon is Network Director for Rail at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), heading up the Greater Manchester rail team and the Station Partnership model. A programme manager by training, he has over 15 years of rail experience, including work on the Birmingham Gateway Project, delivery of two new stations on the East West Rail Project, and support for Network Rail's Civils Assessment Framework. More recently, he has led Greater Manchester's Trailblazer deal with central government to integrate rail into the region's Bee Network, and has overseen major station upgrades such as the £21m works at Salford Crescent. He also leads on TfGM's emerging rail freight strategy for the city region. Simon speaks at TransCityRail North on integrating rail into Greater Manchester's transport network and delivering for a growing region.

Managing train overspeed on the transition to a digital railway

Drivers navigating the hybrid environment—where legacy lineside signals coexist with digital driver-machine interfaces—face increased cognitive workloads and the risk of automation surprise. Transient gaps in infrastructure coverage, system-latency issues, and complex transition zones can lead to unexpected intervention curves or technical overspeeds if not managed proactively. Darren Jowett explores how modern rail networks must adapt their operational readiness, driver training, and safety management systems to mitigate these risks. This session details practical strategies for managing the technical and behavioral interfaces of overspeed protection. Attendees will gain critical insights into predictive risk modelling, human-factors engineering, and the robust data analytics required to ensure a seamless, safe transition to high-capacity digital rail operations

This session addresses the critical engineering and strategic interventions needed to fix the North’s most congested and fragile rail corridors. Industry experts will delve into targeted infrastructure upgrades, bottleneck relief strategies, and asset resilience programs designed to eliminate systemic delays. The discussion will highlight how predictive maintenance and robust infrastructure design can protect vulnerable routes against extreme weather and high-frequency wear. Participants will learn how funding allocation, route modernisation, and cross-regional collaboration are being leveraged to restore passenger trust and deliver a resilient, high-performing northern network.

Rick Lawrence, Partnerships Director at Platform4, will present a afternoon keynote on how infrastructure-led regeneration is transforming surplus railway land into thriving communities. Representing Network Rail's newly integrated property company, he will outline Platform4’s ambitious national roadmap to unlock 40,000 homes and 10 million square feet of commercial space over the next ten years. He will discuss how planning and investment reforms can accelerate station development, maximizing the societal and economic value of brownfield assets. Highlighting key regional opportunities across the North, Rick will address how Platform4 is actively assembling land and collaborating with both public and private sectors to drive investment. Finally, he will outline critical pathways for supply chain partners, local authorities, and developers to engage with these long-term placemaking projects to deliver sustained community growth.

This session explores how advanced signalling, integrated traffic management, and data-driven operations are revolutionising rail infrastructure across the North of England. Industry leaders will discuss the deployment of Next-Generation signalling technologies and European Train Control Systems (ETCS) to boost capacity and reduce delays. Panelists will examine how real-time data analytics and automated traffic management systems optimise fleet scheduling, predict maintenance needs, and improve passenger journeys. Attendees will gain critical insights into the collaborative frameworks and digital innovations required to deliver a highly reliable, safe, and modern northern rail network.

Join us for post-conference drinks — a great opportunity to connect with speakers and fellow delegates.

Continue the conversation over drinks at the evening networking reception.

Round off the day with dinner, the after party, and more networking into the evening.