RIA Innovation Conference 2026 showcases ‘bold ideas’
Speaking on the opening day of the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) Innovation Conference, Richard Carr, outgoing Technical and Innovation Director at RIA, has urged rail industry professionals to “open their eyes and ears to the art of the possible.”
“The railway has never been short of great ideas,” added Richard, who was opening the annual conference. “Our task now is to turn more of them into a reality.”
Held at the ICC Wales, the Innovation Conference is a flagship event in RIA’s Unlocking Innovation Programme.
It brings together industry leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs and railway professionals for two days of key note speeches, exhibitor spotlights and TechTalks.
This year, attendees will learn more about the intelligent systems transforming the rail industry.
Chris McDonald MP: The importance of innovation
In a video recorded for the conference, Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Department for Business and Trade, discussed the importance of transport investment.
“As the Member of Parliament for Stockton, the birthplace of the modern railway that celebrated its 200th anniversary last year, I know the difference investment in transport could make,” he said. “That anniversary was proof that bold ideas of transport can change the world. People see Britain as the birthplace of railway innovation. I want them to see Britain as the future of railway innovation too.”
Chris also highlighted the importance of rail innovation, commenting: “We believe innovation is key to driving investment, job creation and sustainability within the sector. It’s why the Department for Business and Trade has been funding a host of different projects pioneered by British companies.
“They were fully on display last March at the Global Centre of Real Excellence here in South Wales. The centre is itself a strong example of fruitful collaboration between the devolved administration, central Government and industry.”
Mark O’Connor, GBRX: Developing an AI Action Plan
Echoing Richard Carr’s earlier call to action, Mark O’Connor, Portfolio Director at GBRX, urged railway professionals to get involved with its work around strategic technology.
“We want to unlock barriers and drive that adoption,” said Mark. “And we need you to help us, combine with what we’re thinking and engage with us to do so. But we need to think specifically, particularly around AI, about the guardrails we need to put in place.”
Mark revealed that as GBRX moved into its second year, it was keen to build on its progress to date.
“Particularly for our second year, we’re focusing on the right next steps, and that’s a key thing for us in terms of where we focus our energy,” he commented. “Now, moving into year two, we’re activating and organising our capability to action those right steps.”
Mark pointed to GBRX’s Government-commissioned AI Plan – which looks at AI adoption in the sector – as an example of its mandate being “taken through to action”.
He described the organisation’s methodology as “wide and deep”, adding that he and his team had spoken to as many people as possible “both inside and outside the sector.”
“What we found from our maturity assessment is there are pockets of excellence in the sector, which I think we can all agree with, and there are some fantastic use cases,” he said. “But consistently what we found was that they were not embedded in the day-to-day operations, in routine undertaking on the railway.”
The plan, including hundreds of actions, is due to be published in April, and Mark encouraged industry professionals to engage with it.
“AI is not just technology,” he stressed. “It also needs leadership, data, skills, governance, as well as operation processes to get it embedded.”
Chrisma Jain, Network Rail High Speed: ‘People will drive the success’
Chrisma Jain, Head of High Speed Engineering, Innovation, Network Rail High Speed, also stressed the importance of skilled professionals.
Explaining how HS1 is employing new technologies, she said: “Our people are at the core of this transformation. Manual inspectors carry decades of skills, knowledge and experience to do these activities. What our strategy is to do is not replace the automated inspection 100 per cent.
“We only automate a proportion of it so that we still do a manual inspection in parallel to keep that skill, knowledge and experience in the business. The technology is the enabler and our people will drive the success.”
Neil Robertson, NSAR: Growing digital skills
Building on Chrisma’s point, Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), stated: “You need some skilled people to do this stuff!”
He added that, based on NSAR’s workforce plan, no rail industry professionals were expected to lose their jobs because of AI in the next two years.
“We will need domain knowledge, which is what technical people would call knowledge about the environment that you work in,” Neil said. “And you’re keeping that knowledge alive.”
NSAR’s Chief Executive went on to explain that, like other engineering sectors, rail was facing a digital skills shortage.
“What you have to do is grow your own,” he commented, before revealing that NSAR planned to launch a digital apprenticeship programme. “So please sign up. It’s aimed at people like you, and it will create these cohorts for the future.”
Neil also touched on NSAR’s digital competency tool, which was created as an industry resource, and discussed the importance of digital business strategies.
Other day one speakers included Dr Jo White, Director of Engineering, National Highways, and Jason Marbeck, Vice-Chair, Rail Supply Group.
Jason closed the day’s speeches on a positive note, stating: “It’s about better practice – moving forward, one step at a time, towards a better place.”
RIA’s two day innovation conference concludes on Wednesday 18 March, with speeches from industry figures including Neil Drury, Director of Engineering & Asset Management, Network Rail, Wales & Western Region, Geoff Ogden, Chief Transport Planning and Development Officer, Transport for Wales, Daryn McCombe, Train Service Delivery and Performance Director, Great Western Railway (GWR), and Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales. See the full agenda here.
