Integrated Transport Investment and Development Conference

National Highways – Nick Harris, Chief Executive

Northern Trains – Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer

Northern plays a crucial role in connecting thousands of people by rail. Whether it’s travelling to work, leisure, education, or anything in between, the railway services are vital to keeping the Northern economy ticking. After recently becoming a state-owned enterprise, the priorities at Northern have shifted from profits, to delivering a quality service for its customers. Over recent years over 260 trains have been refurbished, meaning wherever customers travel along the Northern network they will do so on a new train or one that looks as good as new. Over recent months, working in partnership with Network Rail and the TransPennine Express, Northern has completed £60 million worth of platform extension work, extending more than 120 platforms across the Northern network.

Stagecoach UK – Nick Small, Head of Strategic Development and the Built Environment

Stagecoach Group is one of the largest bus operators in the UK, that plays a fundamental role in providing access to work, education, health, shopping and leisure for people in both rural and urban areas. In January, the transport operator announced a £4m national roll-out of new bridge alert to prevent bridge strikes and provide safer travel for passengers. As well as providing a leading UK transport service, Stagecoach Group are also leading in sustainable growth. Stagecoach is one of only two public transport groups to have received a LSE Green Economy Mark, which is reserved for companies that generate over 50% of their products and services that contribute to the global green economy.

Urban Growth Company – Sue Barrett, Chief Operating Officer

Supported by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority , the Urban Growth Company is a critical catalyst for growth, ensuring that ambitions for the HS2 Interchange site are fully realised by coordinating investment plans and growth opportunities. Sue will give an update on their key project – The Hub, which will create 8,000 homes, 70,000 new and supported jobs and over 650,000 sq ft of commercial space.

Arden Cross – Ben Gray, Project Director

For the past 10 years Ben has taken a leading role in the promotion of the 346 acre Arden Cross development site at the heart of the UK and was appointed Project Director of Arden Cross Limited in 2018. As one of the nation’s most connected locations and home to HS2 interchange, Arden Cross will feature up to six million sq ft of commercial development, up to 3,000 new homes, and will support up to 27,000 jobs. The scheme has seen £3 billion in investment to transform the UK Central Hub into a world-leading location.

Devon County Council – Councillor Andrea Davis, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport

More information to follow.

Transport for West Midlands – Sandeep Shingadia, Director of Development & Delivery

Transport for West Midlands are working to develop a world-class transport system by investing £5bn in just under 200 transport projects between now and 2026. Most notably, the West Midlands Metro will see the delivery of £1.3bn worth of new tram extensions. In the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget statement, it was announced that the West Midlands would see a further £1.05bn for major green transport improvements including bus and Metro schemes. West Midlands Combined Authority, TfWM’s parent body, has also been looking at a potential West Midlands tube-style network that has been valued at £15bn.

Midlands Connect – Sarah Spink, Strategic Partnerships Director

With so much transport related investment on the table in the Midlands, Sarah joins the conference to discuss progress with the £3.5bn Midlands Engine Rail initiative and progress with plans for the A50/A500 Corridor, the A46 corridor and the A5 corridor. She will also talk about the partnership work needed to connect people with different towns and cities through innovation and technology investment.

Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation – Richard Jones, Business and Partnerships Manager

The BCIMO are a holding company that will oversee the build, launch and operation of a new £24 million national innovation centre that aims to accelerate the UK supply chain and market development for Very Light Rail (VLR) and last mile home public transport solutions. The organisation is looking to positively transform the UK rail industry with cutting-edge, affordable VLR transport solutions.

Transport for the South East – Sarah Valentine, Head of Analysis and Appraisal

With a plethora of major investments and area studies taking place across the region, Transport for the South East are integral to driving £200bn of economic growth for the South Coast as well as UK PLC. As part of this session Sarah will outline their headline projects and talk about the wider role transport is playing in pioneering local placemaking ambitions.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority – James Nutter, Head of Rail

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority oversee a multitude of projects ranging from major infrastructure works to environmental resilience. The CA is responsible for the £1 billion West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund that will help deliver a variety of major projects, including the £15.8 million Halifax Bus Station redevelopment and the £39.5 million Leeds Railway Station revamp.

Nexus – Helen Mathews, Head of Corporate Planning

Nexus administers funds on behalf of the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority, with the aim of creating better transport networks for the North East. The transport body have multiple major projects underway, including a new £362m train fleet that will be welcomed by the new £70m depot at Gosforth. The Metro Flow project is another vital scheme that will see a £100m investment to boost the frequency and reliability of the Metro.

Costain – Andrea Green, Business Development Director for Transportation

Andrea has more than 20 years of experience in the transportation sector, working for both regional and national transport organisations. Following an early career as an engineer and delivery project manager, she has a deep understanding of the challenges facing the industry and transport customers. She now focusses on end-to-end journeys, ensuring excellence in customer experience and has a passion for delivering improvements to safety, air quality, journey-time and economic outcomes.