HRA Autumn Conference 2026

‘Adapting to change when the world around us already has’

Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4, November 2026

Birmingham Conference and Events Centre
Hill Street,
Birmingham,
B5 4EW

Supported by

For future leaders and seasoned directors, trustees or managers ...

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN 

Bringing together leaders, managers, young volunteers, rising stars and heritage rail people from across the UK for two days of learning, reflection and inspiration.

The conference offers a space to connect, share practice, challenge thinking and take away ideas and real-life examples to keep your railway, tramway or rolling stock group on the front foot!

What to Expect

• Keynote speakers offering fresh insight into adapting, innovating and volunteer engagement
• Engaging sessions to learn from peers, explore new approaches and take away practical ideas to implement and tools to strengthen your organisations
• Panel discussions exploring the future of volunteering in heritage rail and facing the challenge of severe weather incidents
• Networking and Collaborating with your counterparts in heritage rail
• The HRA Members and Partners Drinks Reception - Drinks reception and networking for all delegates and exhibitors kindly supported by Steam Railway Magazine

Conference Schedule

Sessions are still being planned and speakers booked but topics planned include:

Weather and Climate

• “I don’t regret it for one moment …” – Moving to oil burning – A case study – Paul Middleton
• Developing and implementing a severe weather plan – Jonathan Dunster
• Managing track for hot weather - David Ventry, Chairman of the Talyllyn Railway Company and former Head of Track Engineering at Network Rail

• Developing a robust fire risk prevention system - Matt Bell, Chief Operations Officer, North Yorkshire Moors Railway

• Infrastructure failures 

• Lineside fires – mitigating and reducing the risks 
  

Communications, tourism, commercial and business

• Co-operation and Collaboration – Michael Whitehouse, Chairman of HRA premier Partner Vintage Trains 
• How to make the railway press work for you - Tom Bright
  
  
• Tourism – current issues 
  
  
• Understanding and complying with new legislation - Simon Hickman, Avalon Planning and Trustee, Avon Valley Railway
• Office of Rail and Road - Simon Barber, HM Principal Inspector of Railways

Volunteers

• Youth volunteering - It's not about us, it's about them! – Richard Owen, Commercial Director, Telford Steam Railway and Giles Perkins, Chairman, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

• The legal bit; Volunteers or workers?

• Young Persons Guidance – the opportunity
  
  
• Safeguarding on Heritage Railways - Louise Thornton, Business Development Manager, The Railway Children

• Heritage rail and wellbeing - Sophie Butler, Rail Heritage & Wellbeing

• Young volunteers, or young leaders?
  

Evening Networking

Staying overnight on Monday and/or Tuesday? There will be plenty of opportunity to network in the hotel bar or at a nearby pub during the evenings.

Whether you work at a long standard gauge railway, a seaside tramway, or a 15in gauge line, you'll take away invaluable ideas and inspiration that can be actioned on your own line.

Recent HRA Conferences … What you said!

Genuine quotes from heritage rail people just like you who have attended HRA Conferences:

• “All-round excellent - the content, the networking - all good”
• “The fact that we felt uncomfortable at times was good!”
• “There was a real sense of community and there was so much willingness to help us with problems”
• “The chance to listen, learn and acknowledge that all the problems are not just ours!”
• “Friendly, helpful, informative, good to meet people with useful experience and knowledge”
• “Opportunity to network - but also find out the things you didn't know you needed to know”
• “HRA conferences spark motivation and trigger ideas - I have come away with 27 action points!”
• “Valuable info for my role and plenty of action points to take away”