Autumn Conference 2024 - Day One
Provisional agenda for Tuesday, 5 November 2024
Covering the challenges of refocussing and reshaping a heritage railway, funding, regulation, safety and infrastructure.
Although every effort will be made to follow this agenda, please note that times and content are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
08:45 Arrival, registration and networking
Tea/coffee and refreshments
09.15 Welcome and introduction to the day
Steve Oates, Chief Executive, Heritage Railway Association
09.30 The Good the Bad and the Ugly
A case study on refocussing and reshaping a heritage railway
A year ago Swanage Railway was looking down the tunnel to failure.
Decisions taken, services adjusted and a focus on events and experiences, and
they are now seeing a way out of the pit and on the way to recovery.
Peter Milford Company Secretary, Gavin Johns Chairman and Robert Patterson Commercial Director, Swanage Railway
10.10 Morning Session
Money to Make the Wheels Go Round …
Getting heritage rail’s fair share of grants and funds through Trusts, Foundations, S106, CIL, funding bodies and more
Speakers include:
Rebecca Dalley Chief Executive, The Watercress Line
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, speaker being confirmed
Further speakers to be announced soon.
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12.15 Panel Session
Staying on the Front Foot – Funding to future-proof oure heritage railways
A chance for delegates to ask questions and put across their own experiences, discuss the and opportunities available in the current funding landscape and give further insights into how funders think and overcoming the challenges presented!
13:00 Lunch
… and the opportunity to network with colleagues
14.00 ‘The Regulatory Bit!’ - Standards, Guidance and Sharing
Office of Rail and Road - Staying on the track, with safety
Focussing on the increase in derailments at heritage railways over the past year and discussing how a strong safety management system can help address this risk.
Simon Barber HM Principal Inspector of Railways, Office of Rail and Road
Department for Transport
Jeremy Hotchkiss Deputy Director, Rail Industry Standards and Capability, Department for Transport
15.10 Break - Networking - Tea/Coffee
Tea/coffee and refreshments
15.20 Infrastructure Resilience
Andrew Young Consulting Track Engineer Severn Valley Railway, Avon Valley Railway, and East Somerset Railway (plus other speakers being confirmed)
Infrastructure must no longer be the ‘poor relation’ to locomotives and the trains … If you don’t already, understanding your obligations to maintain and properly resource your infrastructure is essential.
16.30 Round-up and Close
Steve Oates, Chief Executive, Heritage Railway Association
