Plenary

08:15 - 08:45

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Morning registration and coffee in the exhibition area

8:00 - 8:45

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Breakfast Club: How can infrastructure managers work together to digitalise the railways? - Invitation only

 

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09:00 - 09:10

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Chair’s welcome

09:10 - 09:30

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Sustainability Keynote: Smart transport and decarbonisation

The rail sector can provide huge benefits to the environment and the energy sector. Backed by new regulations and environmental groups, there is a global trend acknowledging the needs for greener forms of transport, at the same times amore demand for public transport. Reducing carbon from car and air travel is exactly what we want to be doing but how do we go about decarbonising the railways in a way that does not put too much pressure on our networks?

 

Speaker: Bridget Rosewell CBE, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission & Non-Executive Director, Network Rail

09:30 - 09:50

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Case-study: Digital Railways – an opportunity for innovation and sustainability

Trains and the technology behind them have been evolving since the beginning of the railways and the digital agenda enables yet new ways of thinking and sustainability opportunities. As the industry prepares to make the move away from diesel powered trains to more environmental alternatives, we look at what’s needed and the cost involved in ‘cleaning up’ the railways.

09:50 - 10:10

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Strengthening cooperation for a modal shift from air to rail

10:10 - 10:50

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Panel: From heavy engineering to high tech - is the industry in need for a rebrand?

Perceptions of the industry has traditionally been rooted in heavy engineering, rather than cutting-edge tech, clean tech and IT. How do we transform from a sector that is often seen to be heavily in operations, and rigid, into a sector that is agile and able to provide the right service to the right customer at the right time? Join us for a debate on how we as an industry can keep up with passenger and customer’s ever-changing expectations, promote change and prepare for the digital future.

Discussion points:

  • Embracing change and moving with the times
  • Seizing momentum behind heightened focus on the environment, industry investment, new technology and ever-changing consumer trends
  • Educating the workforce and attracting the right talent
11:20 - 11:40

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Rail’s role in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is rapidly becoming a disruptor to the transport sector. And with the growing opportunities this represents, now is the time to ask what the future holds and what the impact of new mobility services will have on the rail sector and its regulation?

 

Speaker: Manel Villalante, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Renfe

11:40 - 12:00

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Case study: From corrective to predictive track maintenance

12:00 - 12:45

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Roundtable Sessions II

 

Engaging sessions providing an opportunity for open, practical discussion

 

12:45 - 13:00

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Roundtable Feedback session

15:40 - 16:00

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

TechCrunch Keynote: Disruptive tech in transport – what’s next?

16:00 - 16:30

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Closing Keynote Panel: Are we on the right track for digital?

Capacity utilisation and performance are possibly the biggest challenges faced by the rail industry. But how do we deliver improvements in a cost-effective way that balances both the short- and the long-term

16:30 - 16:40

05 NOVEMBER 2020 Day 2

Top Five takeaways from Day 2 & conference close

8:00 - 8:45

04 November 2020 Day 1

DRR Breakfast Club: How do we achieve an effective railway in the digital era?

Interactive Roundtable Discussion - Invitation only

 

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9:00 - 9:15

04 November 2020 Day 1

Chair’s welcome

9:15 - 9:35

04 November 2020 Day 1

Market overview: A roadmap to the digital future

Railways are in the midst of a profound transformation, driven by emerging digital technologies such as 5G, big data, IoT, automation, AI, and blockchain. In this opening session we will explore the many trends and challenges there are in rail digitalisation, which are the most important, and how will they impact the rail sector as we know it?  

9:35 - 9:55

04 November 2020 Day 1

Strategic Insight Keynote

As demand for capacity is set to double by 2040, we ask an industry heavy-weight how the future infrastructure and systems will cope with rising demand for passenger and freight capacity, and what getting ready for the digital era really means?

9:55 - 10:15

04 November 2020 Day 1

Digital Rail Revolution’s Outside View Keynote

Draw inspiration from outside the industry. Often the innovations we seek already exist somewhere else. Join us for a thought-provoking session showcasing the very best in digital transformation.

 

Speaker: Harj Dhaliwal, Managing Director, Virgin Hyperloop Middle East

10:15 - 10:35

04 November 2020 Day 1

Analytics – do they really work?

The use of data and analytics across the railway has moved on from its infancy to become a fully-fledged facet of everyday operations. Equipped with a better understanding of how systems work and the benefits of the technology, users and developers are now looking at ways they can refine, improve and further maximise the benefits of the data. Here, we will delve deep into the world of analytics and big data as we ask the extent to which they make a difference, and how do we best apply them?

11:05 - 11:25

04 November 2020 Day 1

Digital Rail Revolution Policy Update

11:25 - 11:45

04 November 2020 Day 1

Are we there yet? Accelerating ERTMS deployment and interoperability

The timetable for implementing ETCS is suffering delays, in large parts due to infrastructure projects running behind and the retrofitting of train fleets being slow to progress. Crucially, the full value of ERTMS will only be evident once we reach a critical mass, so where are we now and how can we accelerate deployment?

11:45 - 12:30

04 November 2020 Day 1

Keynote Panel: Is the digital twin a pipe dream?

It is widely agreed that digital twins could be the most disruptive tool for engineers since BIM, but before the sector can utilise its full potential we need to understand what it means in the context of engineering and how best to use it…

Discussion points:

  • What does digital twin really mean – the need for a unified approach
  • Realising the full potential of digital twin
  • When will digital twins start giving us truly useful insights?
16:00 - 16:45

04 November 2020 Day 1

Roundtable session

 

Engaging sessions providing an opportunity for open, practical discussion

 

16:45 - 17:00

04 November 2020 Day 1

Roundtable feedback session

17:00 - 17:50

04 November 2020 Day 1

The Digital Rail Revolution Interview: Global Railway Review talks to…

17:15 - 17:50

04 November 2020 Day 1

Keynote panel – Cyber-security in the digital age

The flipside of digitalisation for railways is the risks and exposure to the vulnerabilities that emerge while integrating the legacy infrastructure with new technologies. As the boundaries between different segments of railways continue to thin with the presence of increased digital tools on the rail network, the threat landscape is expanding. How can we keep the railways safe in this digital age.

Discussion points:

  • Understanding the current and evolving threats facing the railways
  • What challenges and obstacles do operators and infrastructure managers face in trying to combat these evolving threats
  • How can you invest now to safeguard for the future?
  • Collaboration, communication and cooperation – do we need more of this to collectively combat cyber-security?
17:50 - 18:00

04 November 2020 Day 1

Top Five takeaways from Day 1 and Chairman close of day 1