News & Events
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Inaugural Rail Ops Conference 29th - 30th November
The 29th and 30th of November will see the first Rail Ops Conference take place , hosted by CIRO and sponsored by corporate members . Free to anyone in rail , the two-day event is the largest learning conference in rail , featuring over 30 hours of content , delivered by leading figures from all areas of the rail industry .
The 29th and 30th of November will see the first Rail Ops Conference take place , hosted by CIRO and sponsored by corporate members . Free to anyone in rail , the two-day event is the largest learning conference in rail , featuring over 30 hours of content , delivered by leading figures from all areas of the rail industry .
In addition to a host of prominent speakers , there will also be various opportunities to take part in discussions , Q & A sessions and to visit specialist areas such as the Careers in Rail , 21st Century Operations portfolio and Systems Thinking areas .
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Rail Ops 2021 will offer insight and knowledge across a wide and varied range of industry topics over the two days .
All content delivered at the event will be closely mapped to the CIRO Professional Operators Development ( POD ) framework , meaning that it can directly contribute to visitors ’ CPD . The concept is to offer multiple opportunities to increase visitors ’ knowledge in all aspects of rail operations .
• Mark Hopwood
• Karl Watts
• Andrew Haines
• Phil Dargue & Anna Jayne Hunter
• Andrew Pennington
• David Sexton
• David Davidson
• Nick Donovan
• Darren King
• Dyan Crowther & Richard Thorp
• Patrick Hoverstadt
• Tim Shoveller
EVENT PARTNERS
Rail Ops 2021 will also feature various specialist booths hosted by various CIRO partners . These booths will offer the opportunity to talk to industry experts from different areas of rail , including :
• 21st Century Ops Portfolio
• Learn about Systems Thinking with CIRO
• Careers Corner
• Tools and Tech for Learning
• Stranded Passenger Project
• Connected Leaders Programme
• Rail Academy
• Explore Performance Improvement Management Systems ( PIMS )
• CIRO Membership
• CIRO Academic
• CIRO Apprenticeships
REGISTER TODAY
Rail Ops 2021 is open to all Rail Professionals and registration will be open until the opening of the event . However , some content at the event may be restricted to members only . So , to ensure you maximise your visit and get the best experience , consider joining CIRO as a member by visiting .
If you are employed by one of the CIRO Corporate Members , then there are no membership fees to pay . Be sure to check our list of corporate members during the sign-up process .
Goodbye & Thank You
Two of CIRO ’ s long standing Board members , Louise Cheeseman and Andrew Jones are to step down from their roles and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their dedication and valuable guidance during their time .
Louise Cheeseman
Managing Director Hull Trains Louise made a remarkable rise to her role as Managing Director of Hull Trains having started out as a Train Guard with Northern Rail back in 2001 , following a successful career in banking .
Ahead of the London Olympics and Paralympics , Louise joined Serco in 2012 , successfully spearheading the operations for the Docklands Light Railway during a period of increased passenger numbers . Her success in implementation was recognised worldwide within Serco – resulting in Louise aiding in the preparation of a light rail bid in Sydney .
In 2015 , Louise joined RATP Metrolink as Service Delivery Director at Metrolink specifically to lead the large complex expansion of the tram network linking both sides of Manchester city centre . In 2017 , Louise joined FirstGroup ’ s Hull Trains as Director of Service Delivery , before being instated as Managing Director in June 2018 – making her the only female Managing Director of a train operating company in the UK .
A passionate promoter of women in the transport industry , Louise used the opportunity to be part of the IRO Board to further raise the profile of diversity and inclusion within rail . She credits IRO ’ s adaptability during a period of significant change for the Rail industry during her time on the Board as a key factor in its success .
“ The team within IRO have been very successful in ensuring that the services it offers remain relevant and appropriate to the market . The Board has helped by using their experience and engagement to check and challenge the portfolio of services delivered are what is needed .”
Asked about major milestones for the organisation whilst on the board , Louise points the recently awarded Charter as the crowning achievement , whilst also highlighting the great progress made in developing an innovative assessment service .
Louise leaves her voluntary role on the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators Board having changed roles to Director of Bus for Transport for London and by the Institutions ’ own governance rules , Directors and Trustees are required to work in rail .
Reflecting on her time with CIRO overall , Louise said : “ CIRO is now recognised within the industry as the ‘ go to ’ organisation for their learning and development support . The Institution is prepared to deliver what the industry needs are at any given time . Any good organisation must diversify to match market needs and the CIRO is doing this . It has been an absolute honour to be a part of the Institution ’ s growth and it would be lovely to think that I may return one day . Thank you for giving me this opportunity .”
Andrew Jones
Railway Consultant A career railway employee , Andrew joined the industry in 1981 and spent his early years in signaller and controller roles while moving through supervisory and management positions . He was Area Operations Manager for routes into Liverpool and then on the WCML ( Euston to Crewe ).
He held the accountability as the Professional Head of Operations for Railtrack and then as Head of Operations Competency he looked to drive the introduction of non-technical skills for frontline operators .
In 2014 Andrew moved into capital delivery , overseeing the delivery of new technology first within the National Operating Strategy Programme and then as Director of Operational Programmes within Network Rail . His team delivered the Digital Railway Programme which included deploying the first UK traffic management systems ; and his mantra for successfully delivering and achieving benefit from new technology is to strive to put the operator and their needs at the forefront of design .
The 21st Century Operations Programme with Network Rail was part of his accountabilities and within this the intent to improve the capability and recognition of railway operators was a key driver for his involvement in the CIRO .
Andrew joined the IRO Board in 2018 and at the time was accountable for the Network Rail 21st Century Operations Programme . The outputs of which were to enhance the role of the operator , increasing operator and business operations capability . In joining the IRO Board , Andrew hoped to align Network Rail more closely with the IRO and to allow it to utilise the expertise within the IRO .
Asked about the biggest achievements of the Institution during his time on the board , Andrew also highlights the recent Chartership and what it means for the Institution and wider industry :
“ Achieving the Chartership is the beginning the IRO needs to be at the forefront of providing the tools and support to grow operators and operations . The ambition in Network Rail was to align each role with an IRO qualification . Personally , I would like to see all railway operators licenced , in a very simple and robust way by the CIRO . As we see the industry start to come together under the Great British Railways , there will be a need for a body that can help people gain holistic railway operational knowledge and expertise , I believe that body can only be and will be the CIRO .”
The Bulletin | Issue 48 | November 2021