Improving Passenger Comfort: Why we need good trains and sound track

Bridget Eickhoff: Principal Infrastructure Engineer, Rail Safety and Standards Board

Bridget is Principal Infrastructure Engineer at RSSB and Honorary Professor of Railway Interface Engineering at the University of Birmingham (Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education) where she supports the MSc programmes. She has extensive experience in wheel-rail contact, including the study of derailment mechanisms, track forces and deterioration, vehicle-track interaction, related standards and approval processes. She has been involved in the development of GB and international standards in associated areas as well as supporting a number of research and innovation projects. She is also a past Chair of the IMechE Railway Division.

Barry Tan: Principal Vehicle Dynamics and Rolling Stock Systems Engineer, Rail Safety and Standards Board

Barry works in the Rolling Stock Team in the Standards Directorate at RSSB. His primary role is the review and development of Standards for use on GB railways. He also participates in European and International Working Groups for the development of CEN and ISO documents. His subject areas include railway vehicle dynamics, gauging, and rolling stock systems such as glazing and passenger seats.

Barry was involved in the development of RSSB Research Project T1140 - Defining the requirements of a seat comfort selection process (published May 2019) as a technical specialist. Barry was also the Lead Technical Specialist for the development of Rail Industry Guidance Note GMGN2696 Assessment of Passenger Seat Comfort issue 1. Barry is also involved in RSSB Research Project T1314 which will be investigating the dynamic aspect of passenger ride comfort. Barry is also involved in the development of ISO 24491 which contain structural requirements for railway passenger seats.

Barry graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2008 with a Masters in Engineering degree and he is currently a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Ian Wright: Head of Innovation and Partnerships, Transport Focus

Ian Wright is Head of innovation and partnerships at Transport Focus. He has led much of the organisation’s work on rolling stock. Prior to this, Ian was Head of insight at Transport Focus, growing the organisation’s understanding of transport users. As an insight specialist Ian has spent his career dissecting customer experience across many sectors, be that transport, retail, financial services, energy, FMCG. This has been whilst working for client companies, research agencies, consultancies, and his own company. While it would be slightly misleading to claim a masterplan, there is a transport theme running through Ian’s CV- previous roles have also included a focus on air passengers, when at British Airways, and car drivers (Ford was the main client when at Goldfarb Consultants).

Mani Entezami: Senior Research Fellow, Railway Condition Monitoring, University of Birmingham

Mani is an experienced researcher with over 20 years of experience, including 12 years in the railway industry. He has expertise in condition monitoring systems, noise and vibration, air quality, track and ride conditions, as well as sensing and signal processing. Mani has a strong track record of delivering high-quality publications and projects, and is skilled at solving problems and tackling novel research subjects. He has contributed valuable work in track geometry and ride quality monitoring, which has enhanced the efficiency and root cause analysis of rail transportation.

Philip Rogers: Technical Director, Rolling Stock Technical Services, Transportation, SNC-Lavalin Atkins

Phil started his career in the rail industry in 1990 with British Rail Research and studied Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University of Technology (now Loughborough University). He has since worked for AEA Technology Rail, DeltaRail, Interfleet and now SNC-Lavalin Atkins, mainly within the field of railway vehicle dynamics consultancy. He is an expert in this area and also in railway wheel/rail interaction, with over 28 years of experience in these areas, and 32 plus in the Railway Industry. Phil has extensive knowledge of railway vehicle dynamic modelling with a wide range of vehicle types. He has worked extensively with the world leading Vampire railway vehicle dynamics package.

Mark Burstow: Principal Vehicle Track Dynamics Engineer, Network Rail

Mark is a specialist in vehicle/track interaction and railway vehicle dynamics. He is a member of the cross-industry Vehicle/Track Systems Interface Committee (V/T SIC) and works on a wide range of vehicle/track interaction problems with both train owners and operators and the infrastructure manager. He has been closely involved with research into different forms of wheel and rail damage, and investigated a number of problems of vehicle ride and stability.

Neil Bates: Managing Director, CDT Creactive Design Transport Ltd

Neil is the managing director of Creactive Design Transport and has worked extensively on railway projects in Europe and Asia. 

‘We help businesses succeed through innovation, sector experience, customer knowledge, design and engineering. Our clients include world class manufacturers from Blue Chip plc’s to SME’s and niche specialists: this wide experience makes us successful, our customers happy and businesses profitable’.

Neil is an experienced designer with specialist rail design knowledge gained with operators’ manufacturers and promotors. His real skill is in identifying customer needs and incorporating their ever-changing expectations in new rail products. Neil and the CDT team work on Rolling stock, Stations and environments, Wayfinding systems, Product Design, Transport Design, bids, concept, detail design and advance design definition.

Julian Stow: Assistant Director, Institute of Railway Research, University of Huddersfield

Julian is Assistant Director at the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield. He has 24 years’ experience in the rail industry specialising in rail vehicle dynamics and wheel-rail interface engineering and has led a wide range of projects for the GB rail industry in these areas. He is currently responsible for the delivery of a programme of research work under the Strategic Partnership between RSSB and the University of Huddersfield. Julian is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

John Edgley: Chief Track and S&C Engineer, Network Rail

John was appointed Chief Track Engineer for Network Rail in November 2016 and has held the positions of Interim Chief Engineer and Professional Head of Track for Network Rail.   Prior to this, he has held senior positions in many contractor organisations including Balfour Beatty, Colas Rail, First Engineering, and GTRM.

He started his railway career as a graduate trainee with British Rail in 1991.  He is currently Chair of the UK rail industry Executive Technical Leadership Group (which owns the Rail Technical Strategy) and was President of the Permanent Way Institution between 2020 – 2021.  As Chief Track Engineer, John is responsible for leading and enhancing Network Rail’s strategy for achievement of world-class engineering system performance for Track.

Martin Ward: Head of Fleet Technical (Deputy Rolling Stock Director), West Coast Partnership Development

An MBA-qualified chartered mechanical engineer (FIMechE) and project manager, with extensive experience of passenger rolling stock specification, design and operation. As the Engineering Business Development Director in the First Rail franchise bid team, he has specified new rolling stock and major refurbishments of existing fleets for several UK rail franchises. Having joined the West Coast Partnership franchise in 2019, where WCPD is the “shadow operator,” he is now developing the requirements for the new HS2 rolling stock that will be used on future high-speed services, with a particular focus on the passenger and crew-facing elements of the train.

Philip Rogers: Technical Director, Rolling Stock Technical Services, Transportation, SNC-Lavalin Atkins

Phil started his career in the rail industry in 1990 with British Rail Research and studied Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University of Technology (now Loughborough University). He has since worked for AEA Technology Rail, DeltaRail, Interfleet and now SNC-Lavalin Atkins, mainly within the field of railway vehicle dynamics consultancy. He is an expert in this area and also in railway wheel/rail interaction, with over 28 years of experience in these areas, and 32 plus in the Railway Industry. Phil has extensive knowledge of railway vehicle dynamic modelling with a wide range of vehicle types. He has worked extensively with the world leading Vampire railway vehicle dynamics package.