Railway Innovation Awards

Event date

to

Address

Marriott Grosvenor Square
Duke Street
Mayfair
London
W1K 6JP
United Kingdom

Railway Innovation Awards

4th Friday Club Event

In partnership with

Railway Industry Association Logo

Sponsored by

Porterbrook Porterbrook

THE RAILWAY INNOVATION AWARDS

Founded in 1998, the Railway Innovation Awards are the longest-standing awards scheme in the industry. Now organised by the Fourth Friday Club, the Awards are the annual event at which everybody keen on seeing innovation in the railway sector meets up to discuss and celebrate the brightest ideas in the industry.

HOW TO ENTER

Entries for the 2024 Railway Innovation Awards are now open! You can find the entry form here, and please read the entry guidance provided here. The deadline for entries is Friday 19 April. Good luck!


HOSTS

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Co-Host: Wayne Murphy

Technical Policy Manager, RSSB

Wayne has over 35 years’ experience in the rail industry, starting his career as an apprentice train maintenance fitter. From there he has gone on to spend his career in safety management, working across the industry for train operators, large infrastructure maintenance contractors and RSSB, but he is best known for bringing mundane topics to life through the delivery of highly colourful and engaging presentations and training courses for RSSB and the Institution of Railway Operators.

In his spare time, he hosts charity quiz events and MCs at Kickboxing tournaments.

 

Milda Manomaityte - Innovation Director, Railway Industry Association

Co-Host: Milda Manomaityte

Innovation Director, Railway Industry Association

Milda is a transport professional specialising in the aviation and rail sectors. She started her carrier as a transport journalist in Lithuania and, after moving to London in 2007, she co-founded the Global AirRail Alliance in 2008, promoting rail access to airports. Milda joined the Railway Industry Association in April 2019 as a Technical and Policy Manager, and was appointed Innovation Director in April 2022. Milda now leads RIA’s Unlocking Innovation programme, advocating for continuous support for rail research, development and innovation as well as identifying and overcoming barriers to innovation.

 

Shamit Gaiger - Managing Director, West Coast Partnership Development

After-Lunch Speaker: Shamit Gaiger

Managing Director, West Coast Partnership Development

Shamit Gaiger is the Managing Director for West Coast Partnership Development (WCPD), the Shadow Operator for HS2, having joined the business in July 2022.

Shamit boasts an extensive career in the rail sector, with previous roles at the Rail Safety and Standards Board; as Director of Strategy at National Skills Academy for Rail; and at the Department for Transport, where she led the Rail Sector Deal negotiations on behalf of the UK Government and was a Non-Executive Director for Passenger Services.

She is passionate about delivering improvements and great change within the industry, and proudly sits as a non-executive director of both Women in Rail and the Campaign for Better Transport.

Before joining WCPD, Shamit most recently managed the Advisory Europe team at Aecom, an international infrastructure consulting company. Now she is focused on leading WCPD in designing and developing train services for the new HS2 railway, whilst driving change and championing new, improved standards in customer experience for future high-speed rail travel in the UK.


SCHEDULE

Noon: Arrival and networking
12.45: Lunch begins
14.20: After-lunch speech
14.40: The Railway Innovation Awards 2024
16.00: Close


THE AWARDS

The Fourth Friday Club’s annual event celebrating the best in railway innovation takes place each year. The 2024 awards will be the 26th for the longest standing award scheme in the industry.

This is an event to celebrate the achievements of those companies and individuals who are pushing the industry forward by developing innovative ideas.


AWARD CATEGORIES

Entries in the Railway Innovation Awards are assigned to one of these categories:

• Environment and sustainability

• Passenger experience

• Cross-industry partnership

• Operations and performance

• Engineering and Safety

• People, skills and diversity

• Small-scale project

• Major project

Winners of the Railway Industry Innovation Awards are presented with a fine cut glass engraved vase from Dartington Glass.

Entries for the 2024 Railway Innovation Awards are now open! You can find the entry form here, and please read the entry guidance provided here. The deadline for entries is Friday 19 April. Good luck!


TABLES AND SPONSORSHIP

Tables of 10 at this event cost £1,700+VAT, sponsorship details available on request. Contact Chris Shilling via email chris@shillingmedia.co.uk or call on 07736 635916.


JUDGING PANEL

The Railway Innovation Award entries are judged by a panel of industry experts.

  • David Clarke – Technical Director, Railway Industry Association (chair)
  • Kelvin Davies – Head of Innovation, Global Centre of Rail Excellence
  • Ben Ford – Technology and Innovation Manager, Network Rail
  • Adeline Ginn MBE, Legal Director - Egis, UK and Founder, Women in Rail
  • Helen Hamlin – Chief Network Operator, Network Rail
  • Jo Lewington – Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer, Network Rail
  • Colin Musisi – Development Engineer, Porterbrook
  • Michelle Roles – Stakeholder Manager Wales, Transport Focus
  • Philip Sherratt – Editor, Modern Railways
  • Stefan Wawszczyk, Lead Business Change Manager, Network Rail