Rail Supply Chain Forum | November 10th 2026 London United Kingdom
Operating Railways Through Complex Supplier Ecosystems
An executive leadership forum examining supplier assurance, asset management, operational readiness, systems integration, procurement and infrastructure delivery across modern railway environments.
Presented by the team behind the Rail Cybersecurity Summit, serving the rail sector since 2013.
Rail Supply Chain Forum is a senior-level industry event focused on operational resilience, supplier collaboration, lifecycle asset management, procurement, engineering, maintenance, and risk across modern railway environments. The forum brings together rail operators, infrastructure managers, OEMs, suppliers, contractors, and technology leaders responsible for delivering, maintaining, and supporting long-life rail systems.
As rail networks become increasingly connected, software-driven, and operationally complex, organisations face growing pressure around supplier assurance, component lifecycle management, infrastructure modernisation, resilience, standards implementation, and operational continuity. The Rail Supply Chain Forum provides a practical, operator-led environment to examine these challenges through real-world discussion, cross-sector insight, and collaborative industry engagement.
Topics include supply chain transparency, asset reliability, maintenance strategy, engineering coordination, procurement alignment, operational risk, supplier integration, infrastructure resilience, and the long-term management of delivered rail systems and services.
Speakers
Announcements will be made shortly. To be considered contact jamison@operationalriskcouncil.com
Network Rail
Major Investments & Capital Transformation Director
Robert Cairns
Anglia Railway
Strategy and Change Director
Natalie Allen
East West Rail (Subject to final confirmation)
Major Programme Director
DfT Operator Limited (DFTO)
Laura Heath
Integration Lead
Jacobs
Ivan Lucic
Senior Director of Integrated Systems & Global Principal – Systems thinking and Assurance
Arcadis (Subject to final confirmation)
Senior Programme Director
HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
(Subject to final confirmation)
Integration Director
Transport for Wales (Subject to final confirmation)
Director Operations Transformation
Agenda
Operating Railways Through Complex Supplier Ecosystems
Senior Leadership Forum · Tuesday 10 November 2026 · London, United Kingdom
A senior-level forum examining how rail organisations can improve integration, operational readiness, supplier collaboration, accountability, assurance and resilience across increasingly interconnected delivery, maintenance, infrastructure and technology ecosystems.
Registration, Coffee & Networking
Opening Leadership Perspective
Operating Railways Through Complex Supplier Ecosystems
Modern rail operations depend on increasingly interconnected suppliers, maintainers, integrators, infrastructure partners, technology providers and long-term delivery chains. This opening perspective sets the context for the day: how can rail organisations improve visibility, coordination, accountability and resilience while maintaining focus on passenger, operational and whole-system outcomes?
Leadership Insight
Procurement Decisions That Create Operational Risk
A focused perspective on how procurement, contracting and commercial decisions can better support long-term operational performance, maintainability, supportability, resilience and whole-life asset value.
- Moving beyond lowest-cost procurement decisions
- Designing commercial arrangements around operational outcomes
- Balancing short-term delivery pressures with lifecycle risk
- Improving early engagement between operations, engineering, procurement and suppliers
Leadership Insight
When Responsibility Is Shared, Who Owns the Risk?
As rail delivery chains become more fragmented, accountability and assurance can become blurred across infrastructure, operators, suppliers, maintainers, delivery bodies and technology providers. This session explores how organisations can maintain clear ownership, operational control and effective assurance when responsibility is shared.
Leadership Insight
Track, Train and Operator Integration: Turning Reform into Operational Reality
Laura Heath · Integration Lead, DfT Operator Ltd
As the railway moves towards a more integrated model, the relationship between infrastructure, train operations, delivery organisations and suppliers will need to work differently in practice.
- What effective track-and-train integration looks like in operational terms
- How organisations can reduce friction at interfaces between infrastructure and operators
- What needs to change in decision-making, accountability and delivery coordination
- How the supply chain can better support a more integrated railway
Leadership Insight
Building the Integrated Railway: Strategy, Change and Organisational Readiness
Natalie Allen · Strategy & Change Director, Anglia Railway
Rail reform is not only a structural or commercial change. It requires organisations, leaders and delivery partners to develop new ways of working, clearer shared priorities and the capability to operate effectively across traditional boundaries.
- Preparing organisations for a more integrated operating environment
- Creating alignment between strategy, change activity and day-to-day delivery
- Building the behaviours, capability and leadership needed for lasting change
- Ensuring suppliers and partners are included in the journey, not brought in late
Coffee & Networking
Rail Leadership Roundtables I
Building Better Alignment Across Complex Rail Ecosystems. Delegates join one facilitated peer discussion examining current delivery barriers, practical experience and lessons from across the railway.
Turning Reform into an Integrated Railway
Translating rail reform, organisational change and integrated working into practical delivery across infrastructure, train operations, suppliers and delivery organisations.
Jointly facilitated by Laura Heath and Natalie Allen
Supply Chain Visibility, Commercial Alignment and Supplier Performance
Creating earlier visibility of priorities, programme pipelines, dependencies, risks and capability requirements while aligning commercial arrangements and supplier performance with reliable operational outcomes.
Rail Systems Integration and Operational Readiness
Improving coordination across infrastructure, rolling stock, systems, technology suppliers, assurance teams and operational stakeholders during major change and transition into service.
Engineering Assurance Across Supplier-Delivered Systems
Maintaining technical governance, interface assurance, accountability and engineering confidence where systems, assets and operational interfaces are delivered by multiple organisations.
Asset Reliability, Obsolescence and Whole-Life Performance
Managing ageing assets, supportability, maintenance, replacement planning, supplier dependency and operational performance throughout long rail asset lifecycles.
Roundtable Report Back
Key Findings from Rail Leadership Roundtables I
Facilitators share the principal challenges, practical lessons and recommendations emerging from each discussion.
Executive Discussion
Why Good Rail Programmes Still Fail
A candid leadership discussion examining why apparently well-designed programmes can still lose momentum or fail to produce the intended operational outcomes.
- Fragmented ownership and decision-making
- Misaligned commercial incentives
- Poorly managed system interfaces
- Late operational involvement
- Incomplete assurance and readiness planning
- Capability gaps across clients and suppliers
Networking Lunch
Leadership Insight
From Vision to Delivery: Bringing the Rail Supply Chain Up to Speed
Rob Cairns · Major Investments & Capital Transformation Director, Network Rail
The rail sector has a clear strategic vision. However, many organisations across the supply chain do not yet have sufficient visibility of the strategy beneath that vision, the journey ahead, the practical implications or the actions expected of them.
- Where the railway is trying to get to, and why
- What the journey towards that future railway may look like
- Where the sector currently stands in terms of readiness and understanding
- Why the supply chain needs clearer visibility of the strategy beneath the vision
- The next steps needed to create greater alignment, confidence and delivery readiness
Leadership Insight
Fleet Introduction, Infrastructure Change and Operational Readiness
A practical perspective on the complex interfaces involved in bringing new fleets, systems, infrastructure and operating models into service.
- Managing readiness across multiple delivery partners
- Improving assurance before transition into operation
- Coordinating infrastructure, fleet, systems and operational teams
- Reducing risk during major change and introduction into service
Leadership Insight
Digital Transformation Without Operational Risk
Railway operations are increasingly dependent on digital systems, data, software providers, communications networks and technology-enabled asset management. This session explores how organisations can modernise without creating new operational, resilience or assurance risks across the wider rail ecosystem.
Coffee & Networking
Rail Leadership Roundtables II
Practical Priorities for the Future Railway. Delegates join a second facilitated discussion focused on practical actions, future operating requirements and areas requiring greater industry collaboration.
From Strategic Vision to Supply Chain Readiness
Identifying the strategic clarity, confidence and visibility suppliers need to invest, plan, innovate and build the capabilities required by the future railway.
Facilitated by Rob Cairns
Supplier Collaboration and Shared Accountability
Moving beyond transactional relationships while maintaining clear ownership, decision rights, escalation routes and operational control across multiple delivery partners.
Fleet Introduction and Operational Readiness
Improving coordination, assurance and transition planning across rolling stock, infrastructure, systems, maintainers and operational teams.
Digital Transformation and Third-Party Operational Risk
Modernising railway systems while managing technology dependencies, supplier access, software support, resilience, safety and whole-system assurance.
The Biggest Problems We Have Not Yet Solved
A candid cross-industry discussion examining unresolved risks, structural weaknesses, blind spots and difficult issues that require collective action.
Roundtable Report Back
Recommendations from Rail Leadership Roundtables II
A rapid summary of the most important recommendations, practical actions and unresolved challenges emerging from the afternoon discussions.
Closing Leadership Debate
What Must Change First?
If the rail sector could resolve one issue over the next five years, what would have the greatest impact on operational resilience, supplier collaboration and delivery performance?
Closing Networking
Who Should Attend
The Rail Supply Chain Forum is designed for senior
professionals responsible for delivering, maintaining, managing, procuring, securing, and supporting modern railway systems
and infrastructure.
Typical attendees include:
Rail operators and infrastructure managers
Engineering and maintenance leaders
Procurement and supply chain teams
Asset management and lifecycle specialists
Rolling stock and infrastructure OEMs
System integrators and technology providers
Operational resilience and risk professionals
Programme and transformation leaders
Standards, assurance, and compliance teams
Rail operations and infrastructure delivery teams
Government, regulatory, and industry bodies
Why Attend
The Forum provides a practical, operator-led environment focused on the real-world challenges facing railway supply chains, infrastructure delivery, and long-lifecycle operational systems.
Attendees will benefit from:
Peer-led discussions focused on operational reality
Cross-industry insight from operators, OEMs, and suppliers
Practical discussion around supplier coordination and delivery risk
Greater understanding of lifecycle management challenges in modern rail systems
Insight into infrastructure resilience, maintenance strategy, and operational continuity
Networking with senior decision-makers across the rail ecosystem
Opportunities to explore collaboration across engineering, procurement, operations, and supplier management
Visibility into emerging operational, commercial, and delivery pressures affecting the industry
Key Themes
Supplier assurance and coordination
Lifecycle asset management
Infrastructure resilience and operational continuity
Procurement and engineering alignment
Long-life systems and delivered component management
Maintenance strategy and reliability
Supply chain transparency and dependency risk
Standards implementation and operational governance
Managing complexity across modern railway environments
Sponsors
Announcements coming soon! Interested vendors contact ben.reed@operationalriskcouncil.com
Get in Touch
If you're interested in this event and have further questions, please get in touch. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.