Join leading industry experts for a series of essential conversations and events celebrating 200 years of the opening of Stockton & Darlington Railway—the world’s first modern railway.
Navigating three key themes of people, place and performance, our 2025 events programme includes a dynamic series of panel discussions, live conversations and roundtables covering:
Customer focus: Improving passenger experiences for all.
Financial sustainability: Adapting growth strategies, enhancing affordability and safeguarding the future.
Devolution in a national network: Redefining how the railway works for a more agile and responsive rail network.
Decarbonisation: Rail’s role in creating sustainable economies and communities.
High-speed rail: Learning from experiences across the globe to chart what happens next.
Entrepreneurism and innovation: Creating the space for creativity, action and investment.
Investment and private sector: Unlocking opportunities for public-private collaboration.
Equipping the industry: Securing the insights, skills and culture to succeed and evolve.
Join us for a thought-provoking session exploring how improved rail network performance can unlock broader economic and social value.
Steve Murphy, Chair of the UK Network Performance Board, will share insights from a career at the forefront of railway operations and transformation.
In this session, Steve will spotlight how smarter technologies, operational excellence, and performance accountability can not only enhance passenger experience but also drive regional regeneration through better connectivity and greater social mobility.
With deep experience across the UK and Ireland, Steve brings a unique industry-wide and cross-border perspective. As Chair of the Network Performance Board, he has led the development of a nationally adopted Performance Recovery Framework—driving better outcomes for passengers through collaborative leadership across operators, government, and Network Rail. He also chairs the board of Irish Rail, overseeing a landmark £20 billion investment programme, the largest in the country’s history.
From leading London Overground and Chiltern Railways to spearheading MTR’s and Arriva’s UK and Ireland rail businesses, Steve has consistently championed high performance as a driver of long-term, sustainable value.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the sector’s most experienced and strategic voices on the future potential of rail.
As Britain’s rail industry reaches a pivotal moment, the question isn’t just how we address the current financial challenges, but how we prioritise funding and spending to drive improved customer experience and revenue growth, deliver economic growth, and achieve a more financially sustainable rail industry.
With the first of the remaining DfT-contracted Train Operating Companies (TOCs) transitioning to public ownership this May, and the Comprehensive Spending Review concluding in early June, critical decisions lie ahead that will shape the future of the industry, the network and its services.
In this live conversation, we explored the financial pressures facing Britain’s railways and the potential impact of structural and funding reforms.
We covered:
This session is ideal for transport policy leaders, rail professionals, economists, and stakeholders in public infrastructure and finance. Whether you're involved in operations, government, or strategy, you’ll gain timely insights into the financial future of Britain’s rail network.
Paul’s key areas of research focus include the transport system from a customer experience and mobility perspective, including the implications for public policy. He is also a member of GB Rail Technology Leadership Group (TLG) and Rail Supply Group (RSG), Vice Chair of UIC Alliance of Universities in High Speed Rail (AUHSR) and International Rail Research Board (IRRB). Formerly CEO at Rail Delivery Group (RDG), Group Strategy Director at Network Rail, President of European Infrastructure Managers (EIM) and Chief Economist at the Rail Regulator (ORR), he is also working as non-executive director and as a mentor.
Tessa has 30 years’ experience in the rail industry, both in consultancy and working for a train operator and secondments to the Strategic Rail Authority, the Department for Transport and GBRTT. She has provided advice on rail passenger franchise transactions, scheme appraisals, cost benchmarking, ex-post evaluations of investments and assessments of how to improve the financial position of the rail industry.
Yes, you are in the right place. After 40 years, we have changed our name from Steer Davies Gleave to mark our growing international footprint and our expanding portfolio into sectors beyond transport.
Explore our new website to learn more about Steer: who we are, how we work and what our future holds.