Big issues on agenda for annual Rail Stakeholder Conference staged by HITRANS

The annual rail stakeholder conference hosted by HITRANS, the regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, is being held on Monday 29 January at the Mercure Hotel, Inverness.

A wide range of issues is on the agenda for discussion and there will be presentations from many keynote speakers on

• ·      Inverness Railway Station Developments;
• ·      Highland Main Line upgrade and timetable;
• ·      Inverness Airport, Dalcross;
• ·      Caledonian Sleepers’ new trains;
• ·      the Far North Line Review Team;
• ·      the latest on the HITRANS’ Train2Ride, Midnight Train to Georgemas and Skyefall projects; and
• ·      updates from Community Rail Partnerships.

Scottish Transport Scottish Transport and Islands Minister Humza Yousaf MSP is not able to attend the conference but will be sending a video message to the conference.

Frank Roach, HITRANS Partnership Manager, said: “This is the third year we have organised the conference and it has become an important forum for discussion on the key rail issues that affect our large and rural area.  We will be hearing from the Scottish Transport and Islands Minister as well as other key players in the rail industry. We have many topical issues on our programme, which will run from 11 am – 4 pm.”

Any stakeholder wishing to attend the conference should contact Frank Roach, Partnership Manager HITRANS, Lairg Station, Sutherland IV27 4EX –  01549 402896/07921 161995. Email: frank.roach@hitrans.org.uk

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HITRANS Rail Stakeholder Conference Programme Mon 29 January 2018

1100 Welcome Cllr Allan Henderson HITRANS Chair

1105 Humza Yousaf Minister for Transport and the Islands Video

1110 Alex Hynes MD ScotRail Alliance

1135 Bill Reeve Rail Director Transport Scotland

1200 Peter Strachan Chairman Serco UK Rail

1225 Questions to the above

1250 Lunch

1330 Peter O’Connell ScotRail – Inverness Station Upgrade

1350 Graeme Stewart Scheme Sponsor Network Rail, Scott Prentice ScotRail – Highland Main Line and Inverness-Aberdeen Upgrades

1410 Deborah Paton Aecom- Train2Ride

1430 James Jackson Systra – Midnight Train to Georgemas

1450 Ian Watson Mott Macdonald- Skyefall

1510 Gordon Macleod Transport Scotland – Bikes on Trains

1525 Community Rail- Hege Hernes West Highland CRP, Kate Howie Highland Main Line CRP

1600 Close