Forum sees record numbers attend annual conference

Rail Forum Midlands has hailed the return of it annual conference, which was attended by a record number of people.

The event, which was recently held at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium, saw more than 300 delegates attend in person or online.

They gathered together to network and listen to high-level rail industry speakers talk on the challenges and opportunities currently facing the industry.

Among the speakers was Piers Wood, of city train-maker Alstom, who talked about taking over the Litchurch Lane site and renewing trust in Derby.

Delegates also heard from Rufus Boyd, who described the role of Great British Railways (GBR) transition team and the importance of retaining a customer-led focus.

Derby has thrown its hat into the ring to be the headquarters of GBR, which is a planned state-owned public body that will oversee rail transport in the UK from 2023.

The conference concluded with a visit from Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

Elaine Clark, chief executive at Rail Forum Midlands, said “Our Annual Conference is always a highlight of the year for us and our members.

“We were delighted to welcome around 300 delegates both in person and online.

“We had some fantastic speakers throughout the day who covered a variety of topics affecting the rail industry and we are grateful for their support.

“Feedback has been really positive and we will take away the key points raised and look forward to working with our members to address the many challenges and opportunities discussed during the day.”