Events
COVID-19: stay up-to-date with Railfuture's position on the pandemic.
Click on a month: April / May / June / July / August / September / October / November / DecemberLook out for ONLINE events.
Details of internal Railfuture meetings, open only to elected/selected members are here: Rf-internal.
April
2-18 April 2021. Friday-Sunday. During this schools Easter holiday period, and throughout the rest of the year, all across the UK and Ireland, enjoy your local heritage railway; 181 railways with over 1000 events a year to choose from! More info: Heritage railways and heritage railways-2 and Events.
See also: Scenic Rail Britain and Tour Britain by rail and Car-free journeys to great places and overnight stays with a difference!
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Oxford to Bicester, Public event one. 10.00-11.00.
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 1. 14.00-16.00.
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Runcorn Widnes Railway Bridge Restoration. ONLINE. 16.30-17.30. More about this free Permanent Way Institution, Lancaster, Barrow and Carlisle Section, webinar: PWI
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Cambridge Autonomous Metro. ONLINE. 18.00-19.00. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers technical lecture: IMechE
13 April 2021. Tuesday. All change! Revised national transportation investment priorities in the post-covid world. Guest speaker: Alexander Jan, former Chief Economist at Arup. ONLINE. 18.00-19.00. More about this Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport webinar: CILT
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Japan v UK Rail Model. ONLINE. 18.30-20.30. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers technical lecture: IMechE
13 April 2021. Tuesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Bletchley and the Marston Vale Line, Public event one. 19.00-20.00.
14 April 2021. Wednesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Bedford, Public event one. 14.00-15.00.
14 April 2021. Wednesday. Developments & opportunities in traction technology - decarbonisation and air quality. ONLINE. 17.15-19.30. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers webinar: IMechE
14 April 2021. Wednesday. Customer experience and railway operations event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. , Public event one. 19.00-20.00.
15 April 2021. Thursday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Clapham Green to The Eversdens, Public event one. 11.00-12.00.
15 April 2021. Thursday. The outlook for Tram Train Schemes in the UK and lessons learnt from Sheffied Supertram. ONLINE. 17.00-18.00. More about this free Permanent Way Institution, Nottingham and Derby Section, webinar: PWI
15 April 2021. Thursday. Introducing the Azuma. ONLINE. 17.00-19.00. More about this Institution of Mechanical Engineers online technical lecture: IMechE
15 April 2021. Thursday. The National Transport Trust. Guest speaker: Jerry Swift, Trustee. ONLINE. 17.45-19.00. More about this Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport webinar: CILT
15 April 2021. Thursday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Harlton to Hauxton, Public event one. 19.00-20.00.
16 April 2021. Friday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Great Shelford to Cambridge, Public event one. 11.00-12.00.
16 April 2021. Friday. Long-term commercial & procurement trends in the rail sector. ONLINE. 13.00-14.30. More about this free Institution of Engineering and Technology webinar: IET
17 April 2021. Saturday. Rolling Stock for Non-Rolling Stock Professionals. ONLINE. 09.00-12.15. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers technical lecture: IMechE
17 April 2021. Saturday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch meeting (including AGM) - Re-growing the Railway. Discussion with guest speakers from Transport Focus, Network Rail, a L&SE train operator. ONLINE. 11.00-12.15. More info: Rf-L&SE
17 April 2021. Saturday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 2. 14.00-16.00.
19 April 2021. Monday. Introduction of the Crossrail Fleet. ONLINE. 18.00-20.00. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers online technical lecture: IMechE
20 April 2021. Tuesday. Future on board power. ONLINE. 17.30-19.00. More about this free Institution of Mechanical Engineers online technical lecture: IMechE
21 April 2021. Wednesday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 3. 10.00-12.00.
21 April 2021. Wednesday. Railfreight: The Key to Decarbonising Trunk Haul Logistics. Guest speaker: Julian Worth, Chair of CILT Rail Freight Forum. ONLINE. 17.45-19.15. More about this free Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport webinar: CILT
21 April 2021. Wednesday. Advances in coaching stock design, 1950-2020. ONLINE. 18.30-20.00. More about this Institution of Mechanical Engineers online technical lecture: IMechE
22 April 2021. Thursday. Electrification in Transportation II: an extraordinary year on! ONLINE. 16.30-18.00. More about this free Institution of Civil Engineers webinar: ICE
23 April 2021. Friday. Rail in the Midlands. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. POSTPONED FROM OCTOBER 2020, POSTPONED AGAIN FROM FEBRUARY, POSTPONED YET AGAIN TO NOVEMBER. Venue: Midland Hotel, Midland Road, Derby DE1 2SL. 09.00 for 09.30 start, to 15.20. More info: FFC-RitM
24 April 2021. Saturday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch, Herts & Beds division meeting. ONLINE. 10.30. More info: Herts and Beds
24 April 2021. Saturday. Railfuture East Midlands branch Open Meeting, all welcome. ONLINE. 14.30-16.50. More info: Rf-EM
26 April 2021. Monday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 4. 10.00-12.00.
26 April 2021. Monday. Rail Freight during and since The Covid Crisis. Guest speaker: Julian Worth, Chair of CILT Rail Freight Forum. ONLINE. 19.30-20.30. More about this Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport webinar: CILT
27 April 2021. Tuesday. Electrification: delivering the business case. Venue: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3NY. 08.00 for 09.00 start, to 16.30. More about this Permanent Way Institution Scotland technical seminar: PWI
27 April 2021. Tuesday. Land Assembly and Compulsory Purchase for Major Infrastructure: Practical guidance on conducting land assembly for nationally significant infrastructure projects. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.30 start, to 17.00. More about this virtual Waterfront Conference: WF and TPS
27 April 2021. Tuesday. Werrington Grade Separation Project. ONLINE. 12.00-13.00. More about this free Institution of Civil Engineers webinar: ICE
28 April 2021. Wednesday. Hydrogen for Heavy Duty Transport in the UK. ONLINE. 08.30-10.30. More about this Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport webinar: CILT
27-30 April 2021. Tuesday-Friday. InnoTrans 2021: International Trade Fair for Transport Technology. POSTPONED FROM SEPTEMBER 2020, POSTPONED AGAIN TO SEPTEMBER 2022. Venue: Berlin. More info: IT
29 April 2021. Thursday. Protecting the planet: Myths and facts. ONLINE. 18.30-20.00. More about this free Institution of Engineering and Technology webinar: IET
30 April 2021. Friday. Transport decarbonisation in the UK - low-carbon fuels, infrastructure, sector-specific targets and next steps for policy. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.00 start, to 13.00. More about this virtual Westminster Forum Projects' Westminster Energy Environment & Transport Forum conference: WFP-WEETF
May
4 May 2021. Tuesday. Rail Safety: Improving safety throughout the network - learning from incidents and strengthening safety culture. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.30 start, to 17.00. More about this virtual Waterfront Conference: WF
4 May 2021. Tuesday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 5. 18.00-20.00.
6 May 2021. Thursday. Elections in Great Britain. More info: Vote
6 May 2021. Thursday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch, Sussex & Coastway division meeting. ONLINE. 18.00. More info: Sussex and Coastway
10 May 2021. Monday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Great Shelford to Cambridge, Public event two. 19.00-20.00.
11-13 May 2021. Tuesday-Thursday. Railtex/Infrarail 2020. POSTPONED FROM MAY 2020, POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER. More info: Railtex/Infrarail
11 May 2021. Tuesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Harlton to Hauxton, Public event two. 11.00-12.00.
11 May 2021. Tuesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Clapham Green to The Eversdens, Public event two. 14.00-15.00.
11 May 2021. Tuesday. Network Rail Measurement Train. Venue: tbc. 18.30-20.30. More about this Institution of Mechanical Engineers online technical lecture: IMechE
12 May 2021. Wednesday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Bedford, Public event two. 11.00-12.00.
12 May 2021. Wednesday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch, Eastern division meeting. ONLINE. 19.00. More info: Eastern
13 May 2021. Thursday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 6. 10.00-12.00.
13 May 2021. Thursday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Bletchley and the Marston Vale Line, Public event two. 14.00-15.00.
14 May 2021. Friday. Geographically-based public event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Oxford to Bicester, Public event two. 11.00-12.00.
15 May 2021. Saturday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch, Kent/Surrey divisions joint meeting. Guest speaker Alistair Lenczner of Expedition Engineering: How a direct Ashford to Reading rail route can benefit Gatwick and avoid the need for a new Lower Thames Crossing. ONLINE. 14.00. More info: Kent and Surrey
15 May 2021. Saturday. Customer experience and railway operations event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. , Public event two. 14.00-15.00.
20 May 2021. Thursday. Air Quality Forum: Practical solutions to improve air quality. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.30 start, to 17.15. More about this virtual Waterfront Conference: WF
20 May 2021. Thursday. The HydroFLEX Hydrogen-powered Train Project. ONLINE. 18.30-19.30. More about this free Institution of Engineering and Technology webinar: IET-Cambridge and IET
20 May 2021. Thursday. Women in Rail Awards 2021. More info: WiR
22 May 2021. Saturday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 7. 10.00-12.00.
24 May 2021. Monday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 8. 14.00-16.00.
28 May 2021. Friday. Golden Whistle Awards. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. POSTPONED FROM MARCH. Venue: Marriott Grosvenor Square, Duke Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6JP. 08.00 for 09.00 start, to 15:00. More info: 4FC-GWA
29 May - 6 June 2021. Saturday-Sunday. During this schools summer half-term holiday period, and throughout the rest of the year, all across the UK and Ireland, enjoy your local heritage railway; 181 railways with over 1000 events a year to choose from! More info: Heritage railways and heritage railways-2 and Events.
See also: Scenic Rail Britain and Tour Britain by rail and Car-free journeys to great places and overnight stays with a difference!
29 May 2021. Saturday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 9. 14.00-16.00.
30 May - 5 June 2021. Sunday-Saturday. Bike Week. More info: Bike
June
1 June 2021. Tuesday. Weekly live chat event for East West Rail Company consultation closing 9 June. ONLINE. Public live chat week 10. 18.00-20.00.
3 June 2021. Thursday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch division meetings
- Sussex & Coastway ONLINE. 18.00. More info: Sussex and Coastway
- Herts & Beds division meeting. ONLINE. 19.30. More info: Herts and Beds
4-5 June 2021. Friday-Saturday. European Passenger Federation conference. POSTPONED FROM JUNE 2020. Venue: Strasbourg. More info: EPF
8 June 2021. Tuesday. Transport and Regeneration in the Midlands - Maximising regeneration and economic growth through investment in transport across the Midlands. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.30 start, to 17.00. More about this virtual Waterfront Conference: WF and TPS
9 June 2021. Wednesday. Rail North: Leeds 2021. More about this event: PE-RN
14 June 2021. Monday. Battery Powered Trains with Fast Charging. ONLINE. 18.30-19.30. More about this free Institution of Engineering and Technology webinar: IET
15 June 2021. Tuesday. 7th Annual (2021) UK Rail Station Development and Regeneration. ONLINE. 08.30 for 09.30 start, to 17.30. More about this virtual Waterfront Conference: WF and TPS
16 June 2021. Wednesday. Metroisation of the Railways: How to put Pullman-Standard Public Transport at the heart of Build, Build, Build's new housing and communities. Chair: Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chairman of Network Rail. Venue: Friends Meeting House, opposite Euston Station, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ and ONLINE. 10.00-16.30. More about this ConnectedCities hybrid live/online conference (postponed from 5 October 2020) building on earlier case study seminars on Devon Metro, Northumberland Line, Rochdale Rail Corridor, MetroWest Bristol, and Oxford Metro: CC-MoR
16/17 June 2021. Wednesday-Thursday. Rail Live 2021. Venue: Quinton Rail Technology Centre, Station Road, Wilmcote, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8PL. More info: RL2021
22 June 2021. Tuesday. Railway Study Forum Annual Dinner. POSTPONED FROM JUNE AND SEPTEMBER 2020. Venue: The Kia Oval, the Ashes Suite, Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SS. 18.00-23.45. More about this CILT/Railway Study Forum event: RSF
26 June 2021. Saturday. Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting, non-members welcome. 14.00. Ipswich. More info: Rf-EA
29 June 2021. Tuesday. Rail West to East conference. More about this event: PE-RWE
July
1 July 2021. Thursday. RSN 2021. Venue: Derby Velodrome, Royal Way, Derby DE24 8JB. POSTPONED FROM JULY AND SEPTEMBER 2020, POSTPONED AGAIN TO SEPTEMBER. 09.30-15.30. More about this free Rolling Stock Networking event: RSN
10 July 2021. Saturday. Uckfield Festival's Big Day including Railfuture's regular Bridge the gap campaign stall.
14 July 2021. Wednesday. Railfuture London & South East regional branch, Eastern division meeting. ONLINE. 19.00. More info: Eastern
17 July 2021. Saturday. Railfuture national AGM. More info: Rf-AGM
23 July - September 2021. Friday-. During this schools summer holiday period, and throughout the rest of the year, all across the UK and Ireland, enjoy your local heritage railway; 181 railways with over 1000 events a year to choose from! More info: Heritage railways and heritage railways-2 and Events.
See also: Scenic Rail Britain and Tour Britain by rail and Car-free journeys to great places and overnight stays with a difference!
August
September
7-9 September 2021. Tuesday-Thursday. Railtex/Infrarail 2021. POSTPONED FROM MAY 2020, POSTPONED FROM MAY 2021. Venue: NEC, Birmingham. More info: Railtex/Infrarail
9 September 2021. Thursday. Rail: North of the Border. More about this event: PE-RNoB
24 September 2021. Friday. Rail in the North of England. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. Venue: National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ. 09.00 for 09.30 start, to 15.00. More info: FFC-RiNoE
25 September 2021. Saturday. Railfuture East Anglia branch meeting, non-members welcome. 14.00. Norwich. More info: Rf-EA
30 September 2021. Thursday. RSN 2021. Venue: Derby Velodrome, Royal Way, Derby DE24 8JB. POSTPONED FROM JULY AND SEPTEMBER 2020, POSTPONED AGAIN FROM JULY. 09.30-15.30. More about this free Rolling Stock Networking event: RSN
October
15 October 2021. Friday. Railway Industry Innovation Awards. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. Venue: Hilton London Canary Wharf, Isle of Dogs, London E14 9SH. 11.00-15.00. More info: FFC-RIIA
November
1-21 November 2021. Monday-Sunday. United Nations Climate Change conference. POSTPONED to NOVEMBER 2021. Venue: SEC Centre, Exhibition Way, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8YW. More info: UN-COP26. (COP26 stands for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, which is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - a treaty agreed in 1994.)
4 November 2021. Thursday. Rail in the Midlands. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. POSTPONED FROM OCTOBER 2020, POSTPONED AGAIN FROM FEBRUARY, POSTPONED YET AGAIN FROM APRIL. Venue: Midland Hotel, Midland Road, Derby DE1 2SL. 09.00 for 09.30 start, to 15.20. More info: FFC-RitM
4 November 2021. Thursday. Modern Railways Rail Vehicles & Enhancements Show 2020. POSTPONED from NOVEMBER 2020. Venue: Derby Arena, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8JB. More info: MR-RVE
4 November 2021. Thursday. Welsh Transport Forum 2021. POSTPONED FROM MARCH. More about this event: PE-WTF
26 November 2021. Friday. Golden Spanner Awards. Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club conference. Venue: Grand Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street, Holborn, London WC2B 5DA. 09.00 for 09.30 start, to 16.30. More info: FFC-GSA
27/28 November 2021. Saturday/Sunday. Railfuture stall at annual rail exhibition. Venue: NEC, Birmingham. More info: Rf-NEC
December
8 December 2021. Wednesday. Bullying vs banter. ONLINE. 12.30-13.00. More about this free Institution of Civil Engineers webinar: ICE
Railfuture now holds one national conference each year, normally in the autumn (in addition to its national AGM for members). The conference is competitively priced, to be within rail users' price range, and is open to everyone. Railfuture members are usually offered a chance to attend conferences at a discounted rate if booked early; for non-members there's often a discounted 'book and join' package.
Details of other internal Railfuture meetings, open only to elected/selected members, including the annual Branches & Groups Day held each autumn, are here: Rf-internal.