The Sleeper's Blog

Siemens’ Rob Morris on the Rail Sector deal and Digital Railway

08 May 2019Rob Morris, Managing Director at Siemens Rail Automation and Digital Railway Industry Champion for the Rail Supply Group Rail Sector Deal joins us to discuss how Digital Railway is developing a ‘transformative’ Rail Sector Deal ah...

Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail’s LNE & EM Route Programme Director, on rethinking digital technology

08 May 2019Toufic Machnouk, LNE & EM Route Programme Director for Network Rail, joins us to discuss Digital Railway and rethinking Network Rail’s digital approach ahead of TransCityRail Midlands 2019. What does your role as LNE & EM Route...

Empower your reader, choose print

07 May 2019We are on digital rollercoaster, swirling and twirling through a variety of different online advertising platforms- have we forgotten about traditional marketing platforms such as print? The UK is currently the global leader in advertising, gener...

Maria Machancoses on the Midlands Rail Hub plans and futureproofing the Midlands network

03 May 2019Maria Machancoses Director of Midlands Connect joins us to discuss the Midlands Rail Hub plans and futureproofing the Midlands network ahead of TransCityRail Midlands 2019. What does your role as Director of Midlands Connect involve? I&rsqu...

A strengthened rail supply chain

26 April 2019With HS2 in progress, we will need more people than ever to be equipped with the skills and expertise to carry through this project. It is therefore vital that companies invest in their training programmes and connect with training providers

West Midlands Rail Executive’s Malcolm Holmes on the 30 year Rail Investment Strategy and working with Midlands Connect

08 April 2019Malcolm Holmes, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Rail Executive, joins us to discuss the 30-year Rail Investment Strategy, and how he and his team are working closely with Midlands Connect to deliver on uplifting capacity and bettering service...

Elaine Clark, Chief Executive of the Rail Forum Midlands on supporting the Rail Sector Deal

02 April 2019The Rail Forum Midlands are playing a huge part in the delivery of the Rail Sector Deal. Chief Executive Elaine Clark explains how she and her team are working to support SME's in the rail sector grow their business through collaboration and build...

The vision of England's Economic Heartland's Strategic Transport Forum

26 March 2019Dave Hodgson, elected mayor of Bedford Borough Council and chair of England’s Economic Heartland’s Strategic Transport Forum, sets out his vision for the future of rail in light of the Rail Review, whilst highlighting the economic sign...

The West Midlands 30-year strategy

19 March 2019Malcolm Holmes, executive director of West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), outlines the West Midlands Rail Investment Strategy 2018-2047. The West Midlands Rail Executive was formed three years ago to give local authorities a direct influence ove...

Manchester's masterplan with Transport for Greater Manchester

12 March 2019Simon Warburton, transport strategy director at Transport for Greater Manchester, outlines the region’s ambitious vision for the future. First things first – the good news: Greater Manchester is a success. Over the past 20 years, we h...

Blog: Jane Fisher, Transitions and Projects Director on new trains, station enhancements and £1bn investment

11 March 2019Ahead of the upcoming TCR Midlands event 18-07-2019, we caught up with Jane Fisher, Transitions and Projects Director for West Midlands Trains. As Transitions and Projects Director, Jane explains her role and the key issues West Midlands Trains ar...

Lord Berkeley: TransPennine freight is being sidelined

05 March 2019Lord Berkeley, former chairman of the Rail Freight Group, makes the case for extra freight capacity across the proposed TransPennine route upgrades. Freight has suffered from the lack of capacity across the Pennines, especially for container trai...

Building the North's new railways

26 February 2019Mike Hulme and Justin Moss, co-chairs of Northern Rail Industry Leaders, look at how the supply chain is working with Transport for the North (TfN) to deliver benefits for the region in light of its recent White Paper. These are exciting times fo...

Williams Rail Review: The end of saying sorry?

05 February 2019Keith Williams’ ongoing Rail Review presents a golden opportunity to rebuild the industry’s weakened relationship with its users and set it on a better track for the future, argues David Sidebottom, passenger director at Transport Focu...

Anna-Jane Hunter: A blossoming north

29 January 2019Much has been achieved across the north in the past few years, but there’s still a lot of work left to do. As the third generation in her family to work on the railways, Anna-Jane Hunter, director of north of England rail at Network Rail, is...