24th Annual Rail Freight Group Conference 2016

Image courtesy of Network Rail

The 24th Annual Rail Freight Group Conference 2016 will take place in London on 20 April 2016, bringing together high level representatives from the British rail freight industry to discuss and debate the challenges facing the sector. The date of the Conference was moved forward from June in response to Network Rail’s corporate reform and financing investigation and review.

More than 120 attendees from operating companies, customers and ports will come together to explore the future of the rail freight industry in the UK, with speakers Claire Perry, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Paul McMahon, Director of Freight for Network Rail, Joanna Whittington, Chief Executive of Office of Rail and Road, Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive of HS1, Peter Frost, Managing Director of Kilbride, Joanne Turner, Commercial Director of Freightliner, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive of Hutchinson Port and Mark Grimshaw Smith, Head of Rail and Sea of Cemex, as well as Lillian Greenwood MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and Maria Machancoses, Programme Director of Midlands Connect.

As well as the implications of Network Rail’s plans on the rail freight industry, other topics will include regulation of rail freight growth, the impact of the Shaw Report on the sector, economic growth through the extension of strategic rail freight terminals, the impact of freight on regional economies, issues arising from intermodality, and a discussion headed by Tesco and Cemex from the point of view of freight customers.

Along with a short question and answer session at the end of each speech and discussion, there will be opportunity to network at coffee breaks and network drinks at the close of the Conference.