24th May, 6.00-8.00pm

National Railway Museum, entrance further away from the station

York Central is an area of York famous for railways. From the Holgate Road Carriage Works which opened in 1884 through to the National Railway Museum which moved to its current site in 1975 and the new Network Rail Operating Centre and Training Campus which opened in 2014, the area has sustained and continues to sustain employment and innovation in the railway industry as well as public engagement and interest in the histories and futures of the railway. In this event we will explore how the development of York Central can continue and extend this tradition. We will explore the different ways the site might enable careers and businesses in the railway industry, from the inspiration young people might feel at the National Railway Museum’s new interactive Wonderlab through to understanding the benefits of clustering high tech railway businesses through hearing about Derby’s Pride Park.

The event will be introduced by John Nelson, who has lived in Holgate since he came to York as General Manager of BR’s then Eastern Region in 1987. Coincidentally this included responsibility for railway activities then on the York Central site. Moving to be Managing Director of Network South East in 1992, subsequent to privatisation in 1997 he established the Hull Trains company and as a consultant advised government, rail authorities and companies alike. His work included undertaking a review of the funding arrangements applied to Network Rail by the Office of Rail Regulation in 2009. In 2010/11 he was a member of the Advisory Board established by government as part of the McNulty Review of railway structures and value for money. He was a member of the NRM Advisory Board for several years and in 2013 received a National Rail Award for his “outstanding personal contribution to the Industry”.

Speakers:

Lynne Minett, National Railway Museum. Delivering a range of public engagement programmes, Lynne leads the Learning and Events department at the National Railway Museum.

Alastair Morrison, Head of Sales and Marketing, Tracsis, high tech solutions for railway logistics based at Derby’s Pride Park.