National Rail Conference 2017 update
Gold Sponsor Profile
AS we watch one of the greatest periods of growth for new rolling stock delivery in the UK, alongside HS2 and the Digital Railway, we need to ensure we leave a legacy.
That is the message from Hitachi Rail Europe’s Head of Business Development Jim
Brewin (above), who will take to the National Rail Conference stage in Birmingham on June 15. Brewin says we need to address skills gaps, support local communities, and involve people at all levels of a programme to encourage collaboration.
We are delighted that Hitachi Rail Europe is a gold sponsor for this year’s conference.
Hitachi draws on many years of experience as a supplier of high-speed trains such as the Shinkansen (bullet train) for the Japanese and international markets.
In Europe, Hitachi Rail Europe’s first rolling stock contract was to deliver a fleet of 29 Class 395 trains (the first domestic high-speed train in the UK) for High Speed 1. The trains are maintained at Hitachi’s depot in Ashford, Kent. THE establishment of a new Institute for High Speed Rail Engineering at the University of Leeds is set to bring added focus to HS2 research. Professor Peter Woodward (right) joins chairman of high speed rail engineering, heading the new institute.
He will be responsible for developing the institute at a time when the region is working to unlock the potential of the Northern Powerhouse and HS2. With a background in geotechnical engineering, the plan is to create a world-leading research and innovation hub with an emphasis on train-track interaction and infrastructure systems.
Woodward joins from Heriot-Watt University, where he is currently an industrysponsored professor of high speed rail. A distinguished researcher, he played a key role in developing the polymer-based track stabilisation system known as XiTRACK, which has increased track speed and reduced maintenance costs in a number of rail networks.
Woodward will take to the National Rail Conference stage at the BCEC in Birmingham on June 15, to talk to delegates about the new institute at Leeds and the bigger picture of HS2’s role in the North and the UK.
Mowbray will take to the NRC stage at Birmingham’s BCEC (near New Street station) on June 15 to explain how the college’s curriculum will meet the skills need and how businesses have supported (and can support) the college.
Mowbray was appointed to her current position in September 2016, having joined HS2 Ltd in 2014 to lead on the development of the new college, which has a campus in Birmingham and also in Doncaster. She has been instrumental in taking the project from concept through to its current stage of development.
Prior to this, Mowbray was involved in strategic planning and development of education of 14 to 19-year-olds, supporting organisations through mergers and advising Government on policy.
More recently, she worked to develop a new approach to education and skills development for the South West Strategic Health Authority that focused on immersive virtual learning and professional development.
To hear Mowbray talk about the new college and to see a virtual tour of its interior, book your delegate place now at