Rail travel has never been under the public spotlight as it is today. With increased passenger fares, crowded carriages and line work, the modern commuters are facing tough decisions, and do they keep travelling by rail or move to other modes of transport, which again lead to questions surrounding sustainability and the environment. Railway Improvement 09 will look at the key area ‘passenger travel’ and how passenger travel can be improved, from introducing more carriages, to providing improved facilities, without causing further hindrance to the customer.

The Thameslink modernisation programme will look to solve many of these issues and with its £5.5bn investment aims to provide the rail user with the 12 car carriages up from the eight currently in-service, and which will be on line by 2015. These are ambitious targets, seeing as work needs to be carried out on 150 stations from platform lengthening to the upgrading of available services. Add to this the work being carried out on the Crossrail project – an exciting and visionary new rail proposal for London and the South-East; set out to produce a world-class, affordable railway, with a high frequency, convenient and accessible train service across the capital from 2017 – and the rail industry is now picking up speed and creating the services that the modern day commuter not only expects but deserves.

Railway Improvement: rail services for the modern commuter will outline the future of UK rail travel and the need for improved rail travel for the people of London. Expert speakers will discuss the cutting edge policies, whether the rail industry is delivering on the white paper ‘Delivering a Sustainable Railway’ and what is yet to be achieved. Delegates will also have the opportunity to question a panel of railway professionals and campaigners, to network with like-minded professionals and to learn from the industry’s leading solution providers. Railway Improvement is a must attend event!