Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Tim Ward, Office of Rail and Road (TW): I am ORR's Interoperability Manager, engaging internally and with external stakeholders, supporting them to understand the purpose of interoperability and the legislation that supports it. I have previously carried out a role as ORR's lead for Network Rail's Freight and National Passenger Operators function and was seconded to Network Rail's freight team in the development of its freight property to support greater use of rail freight.
Xuwen Jia, University College London (XJ): My work directly aligns with the event's focus on digital logistics and sustainability. Working under the guidance of Professor Taku Fujiyama at UCL, I lead the data modelling and platform development for a DfT-funded collaborative project with Freightliner to estimate real-time braking curves, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions. Leveraging my BSc and MSc in Mathematics alongside three years' experience as a data analyst in top-tier tech, I apply AI and physics-based modelling to transform complex data into an actionable platform to support more efficient freight train ETCS operation.
Ben Altman, Rail Safety and Standards Board (BA): For wider context, one of my roles at RSSB is providing support to Freight Braking and Adhesion Research Group by helping with specifying part of its research programme and supporting the delivery of one of its research projects. I was asked by Aaron Rostron-Barrett to present on his behalf at the seminar. The focus of my presentation will be one of the FBARG research initiatives relating to freight braking in low adhesion.
Rebeka Sellick, Cordel.ai (RS): As a railway engineer with lots of friends across the industry, I'm organising the Rail Freight 2026 event.
Ben Andrew, Echelon Rail Limited (BeA): I have been a member of the organising committee for the seminar. I bring 40 years of experience of working in the railway industry to the committee, the majority of which has been within the freight sector, dealing specifically with traction and rolling stock, and more specifically the introduction to service of several new fleets of locomotives and wagons.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
TW: We seek to engage with projects at an early stage. In the freight sector, this doesn't always happen, which means there are fewer opportunities to iron out potential problems before freight vehicles can be used.
XJ: Coming from the tech sector, I'd say the biggest roadblock is data fragmentation. The industry collects massive amounts of raw data, but actually integrating AI or advanced data analytics tools into rail freight systems to get real-time insights is still a major challenge.
RS: Reorganisation proposals around the creation GBR has necessarily brought uncertainty to the industry, making it hard to plan. Impending and ongoing changes always impact as a distraction from the challenge of running today's railway optimally.
BeA: Chronic lack of investment, spiralling costs, political interference, moving of goalposts and an inability to apply any strategic thinking for the good of the country.
Q: What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's event?
TW: How technology can drive a more flexible freight sector to meet market needs.
XJ: I’m really looking forward to discussing how we can turn raw operational data into practical actions that cut down on manual testing, reduce decision-making costs, and enhance safety in the rail freight sector. Specifically, I'm excited to talk about using AI and physics-based modelling to optimise ETCS operations and track carbon emissions in real-time.
BA: Modelling the underlying conditions that can lead to wheel flats in freight vehicles.
RS: I'm excited about the range of topics particularly new traction and rolling stock, set in the context of the direction of rail freight in the UK and its potential internationally.
BeA: The ongoing lack of electrification to allow electrically hauled freight trains to operate from origin to destination continues to mean fleets of electric locomotives sit idle, rotting away in places like Crewe Electric Depot, some of which have been there for 25 years. The number of diesel hauled trains that operate "under the wires" remains unacceptable for any industry with a green agenda, and the commitment to provide new freight terminals with any form of electrification continues to be absent. This must change if the new developments in traction and rolling stock are to be implemented. Discontinuous electrification and battery operation simply do not work for freight trains, and the focus must shift from the passenger-dominated justification for electrification projects with freight being a poor relation, if indeed it is considered at all.
Q: What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
TW: Intelligent vehicles that deliver safety and availability improvements.
XJ: I believe the key area of innovation lies in better utilising the data we already collect. It sounds simple, but it can drive significant profit and efficiency. Both in the UK and internationally, real progress is being made by applying AI and data modelling to live sensor feeds, specifically real-time data from on-board train systems and trackside signals. This allows operators to transition from post-journey analysis to the real-time optimisation of fuel, emissions, and ETCS operations.
BA: iWagon.
RS: The fundamentals of braking and adhesion that drive what markets rail freight can address are always amenable to engineering innovation. The seminar is ideally timed for shared exciting developments in freight engineering research that will be coming to fruition - and exploring how they can be implemented for maximum impact.
BeA: Very little innovation takes place on freight trains, with the IWagon project being a notable exception. Freight operations are all about efficiency, effective use of assets, train paths that actually work, maximising the loads without compromising point-to-point timings, minimising track forces and the impact of the train on the infrastructure. The answer to question 8 above provides the solution to the next generation of freight trains.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
TW: The Freightliner customer vision presentation.
XJ: I am particularly interested in hearing from freight operators and policymakers. Since my focus is on data modelling and platform development, understanding their on-the-ground operational pain points and regulatory targets is crucial. It ensures the AI solutions we build actually solve real-world problems for the industry and don't just remain theoretical exercises.
BeA: The keynote speakers - those with access to policy, funding, strategic thinking and developing a real future for rail freight in the UK.
CW: I think we have a great lineup this year and I am looking forward to hearing all the presentations on a topic that I'm really interested in.
MB: I have recently worked with Carl Woolley of Design & Analysis on a few projects for the Jubilee Line, so am interested to hear about his work for dealing with a yaw damper bracket fractures on Turbostar.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
TW: To help them understand and deliver solutions to the pressing challenges of the freight sector.
XJ: It is essential for aligning traditional rail freight engineering with modern digital automation. This conference provides a vital forum for experts to discuss how infrastructure, policy, and data modelling intersect. Collaboration is the only way to ensure that technical innovations for ETCS and sustainability are both practically viable and compliant with industry safety standards.
RS: It's crucial to gather best practice and new technologies for implementation, and to understand and influence the impending changes in our industry, as GBR is taking shape.
BeA: Engineers need to be aware of how their expertise feeds into the rest of the industry. UK rail freight is a commercial, competitive market where profits and losses are made on the margins of operation. Engineers can do a lot worse than develop a deep understanding of the wider market.
The Rail Freight 2026 conference will be taking place on 16 September 2026 at One Birdcage Walk, London.
After the event, join Railway Division Chair's HQ Address 2026, which will be given by Matthew Prosser, 58th Chair of the IMechE Railway Division. His address will explore the role engineers play in keeping the railway safe, efficient and resilient, and why long-term systems thinking matters across such a complex industry.