The CILT(UK) Annual Railway Study Forum (RSF) Dinner was held at the Kia Oval Cricket Ground in London, welcoming a diverse range of guests and keynote speakers from across the railway industry.
This past year has been turbulent not only for rail and transport but for the UK as a whole.
We now have a new Prime Minister, a new Secretary of State, and a new Minister of State for Rail, who is well-known to CILT(UK) as the Institute’s former president, Lord Peter Hendy.
Over 200 rail professionals attended the evening, which commenced with an introduction by RSF committee member and former RSF president, Neil Micklethwaite.
Neil then welcomed current RSF President and Managing Director for West Coast Partnership Development (WCPD), Shamit Gaiger OBE, to speak.
Shamit provided an update on her programme of events for the RSF this year, which has showcased the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, resulting in impressive turnouts and great examples of collaboration within the sector.
She also continued to advocate for enhanced standards in customer experience for the future of high-speed rail travel in the UK.
Among the keynote speakers was Alex Hynes FCILT, Director General for Rail Services at the Department for Transport (DfT).
Alex shared insights on the future of the rail industry and his aspirations for the delivery of Great British Railways (GBR).
The event also featured enlightening presentations from Peeya Goodwin, Programme Manager, and Rupert Bickham, Industry Operations Business Support Manager, both from the Rail Delivery Group.
Their contributions highlighted the impressive talent and innovative thinking of emerging professionals in the rail industry, instilling confidence in the sector’s future leadership.
When asked what people should take away from the event, Rupert said: “Rail is going to go through a set of massive changes over the next few years and this event offers a chance to learn something new, learn some new prospectives and meet some fantastic people.”
Peeya then added: “Today the rail industry is very diverse and is an industry where everybody is everyone’s champion.
“That is a nice feeling to take away through these kinds of events because we come together, share our knowledge and show the spirit of our sector.” 
This year’s RSF Dinner underscored that the window for industry transformation remains wide open, presenting opportunities for public transport, particularly rail, to thrive.
A shared message among attendees was that this window will not remain open indefinitely; therefore, the rail industry must ensure it delivers for customers, communities, and the wider stakeholder base it serves.
Like many industries, rail remains under pressure, and there is a collective vision to evolve into a more modern, flexible, and customer-centric service, which the sector is committed to achieving.