Rail Director - February 2026
RDB Media
19 Feb 2026
Next month, the British Aviation Group (BAG) and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) will be discussing and debating the challenges of linking up airports with the railways.
The two organisations are teaming up at Interchange 26 at Manchester Central on March 3 to explore a tope titled 'Transportation hubs - seamless connectivity between airports and rail'.
"You can't view air transport in isolation," said Jane Thompson, Deputy Chair at BAG. "Passengers must get from their home destination or to the destination they are visiting somehow and there is much we can do to improve this surface access connecivity in the UK compared to our peers in Europe."
"In Europe, where there is more public ownership, there is inevitably more joined up thinking between modes of transport. With the more privatised aviation model we have in the UK we have less ability to be agile in our political decision-making.
"We're also a small island with a lot of legacy transport, and it's often physically quite difficult to build infrastructure that connects when you're restricted on space."
The panel discussion at Interchange 16 will include Darren Caplan, Chief Executive, RIA; Hannah Godfrey, Senior Surface Access Manger, London Gatwick; Alan Corner, Deputy Chair, British Aviation Group; Sue West, Director of Landside Operations, and Manchester Airport; Tim Leecah, Head of Surface Access Strategy, Heathrow Airport. They will debate the physical, political and delivery challenges in linking up aviation with rail. Moderator will be Robert Courts...
Rail Director February 2026 by RBD Media - Issuu - 19 Feb 2026
