Stakeholder
Conference

2026​

Tuesday 8th September 2026  |  9:30 – 15:45

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About the event

West Coast Partnership’s annual stakeholder conference brings together rail leaders, policymakers and regional partners to discuss performance and collaboration, how we can deliver more reliable journeys, strengthen regional connections and build a more integrated, customer-focused network – while reflecting on the context of industry nationalisation.

Location: The Midland Hotel, Manchester

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Hours
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Speakers

Andy Mellors

Managing Director,
Avanti West Coast

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Craig Wakeman

Head of HS2 and Strategic Partnerships, West Midlands Rail Executive

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Mark O’Connor

Portfolio Director,
GBRX

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Simon Elliot

Network Director for Rail, Transport for Greater
Manchester

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Robyn MacNamara

Head of Programme
Integration, Network
North Wales

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Agenda

Morning

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Afternoon

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The Midland Hotel, Manchester

From Manchester Oxford Road (approx. 10-minute walk): Exit the station onto Oxford Street and walk towards St Peter’s Square. Continue straight onto Peter Street, and The Midland Hotel will be on your left.

From Manchester Piccadilly (approx. 20-minute walk or 10 minutes by tram): Walk to the Metrolink stop at Piccadilly Station and take any tram towards St Peter’s Square. From there, it’s a 2-minute walk to The Midland Hotel on Peter Street.

From Manchester Victoria (approx. 15-minute walk or 8 minutes by tram): Take any Metrolink tram to St Peter’s Square. The Midland Hotel is just a short 2-minute walk from the stop on Peter Street.

16 Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS

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Andy Mellors

Managing Director,
Avanti West Coast

Andy Mellors joined British Rail as an engineering management trainee in 1988, graduating in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College in 1992.

After undertaking various engineering and production roles in London and Liverpool, Andy joined FirstGroup in 2002, becoming Engineering Director for First North Western (2003), before moving to similar roles at First Scotrail (2004) and then First Great Western (now Great Western Railway) in 2007 where he was also Deputy Managing Director.

In 2017, Andy became Managing Director for the new South Western Railway franchise, before moving into the role of Managing Director, Non-Franchised Businesses for First Rail in 2020.  In this role, he oversaw the mobilisation of Lumo and the successful post-pandemic recovery of Hull Trains, First Rail’s open-access business operating between London and Hull as well as the expansion of First Customer Contact who provide customer relations services to a number of Train Operating Companies.

Having supported the senior team at Avanti West Coast in developing and delivering their recovery programme from Summer 2022, Andy was appointed Managing Director in March 2023.

Andy is a Chartered Engineer and was previously Chair of the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Craig Wakeman

Head of HS2 and Strategic Partnerships, West Midlands Combined Authority

Having spent 20 years in senior management in the private sector, Craig moved into the public sector as a programme delivery consultant at Birmingham City Council where he worked on a number of corporate projects & programmes before undertaking work for the regional LEP on delivering key regional strategies. This led to Craig being the author of the first HS2 Growth Strategy in 2015 and leading the regional team charged with delivering the wider economic and social benefits of HS2 – developing the mantra of ‘beyond building a railway’. In 2019, he led the West Midlands response to the Oakervee review and in 2021 updated the regions view of HS2 with a refreshed WM HS2 Growth Strategy – The Defining Decade’. Craig recently led the work in the region supporting the private sector consortium that has been formed to look at developing alternative costed solution following the former Prime Minister’s decision to cancel phases 2a & 2b of HS2 and hoping to support the proposed ‘feasibility study’ announced by DfT on future connectivity north, having just completed the latest refresh of the Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy – ‘Beyond Building A Railway’.

Craig is also now leading a national initiative the ‘Combined Authority Infrastructure Partnership (CAIP) . CAIP was created in response to longstanding challenges in infrastructure delivery across City Regions. Led by TfWM/WMCA, the partnership now brings together 17 Combined Authorities & transport bodies, government departments, and industry partners to develop a more agile, collaborative and consistent delivery model.

Mark O’Connor

Portfolio Director, GBRX

Mark O’Connor is Portfolio Director at GBRX, where he leads strategic technology, innovation and transformation portfolios across the railway industry. He is responsible for developing and delivering major programmes that accelerate the adoption of new technologies, strengthen industry collaboration and support the transition towards Great British Railways. Mark has been closely involved in shaping initiatives including AI adoption, innovation pathfinders and portfolio delivery models that enable innovation to scale across the rail sector. As a speaker, he focuses on how rail can translate emerging technologies into practical operational value through purposeful leadership, collaboration and effective delivery.

Simon Elliott 

Network Director for Rail at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)

Simon Elliott is Network Director for Rail at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), where he leads the development, performance and integration of Greater Manchester’s rail network as part of the Bee Network vision. He is responsible for rail strategy, major infrastructure programmes, operational performance, and the integration of local rail services into a seamless multimodal public transport system.

With extensive experience across rail sector, Simon works with government, industry and regional partners to shape the future of rail in Greater Manchester and support wider transport reform. He leads the delivery of major rail investment programmes, including new stations, accessibility enhancements and network improvement schemes, while also representing Greater Manchester’s interests in national discussions on rail reform and devolution.

Simon has played a key role in the development of the Bee Network Rail Integration programme, helping to bring rail closer to customers and communities through a more joined-up, customer-focused public transport system. His work focuses on improving passenger experience, driving economic growth, supporting sustainable travel and ensuring rail plays a central role in the region’s future prosperity. A passionate advocate for collaboration and innovation, Simon regularly engages with senior leaders across the rail industry, local authorities and government to deliver practical improvements for passengers and develop the next generation of integrated transport services.

Robyn MacNamara

Head of Programme
Integration, Network North Wales

Robyn MacNamara is a highly accomplished senior leader and the Head of Programme Integration for Network North Wales (NNW), a multi-million-pound initiative transforming regional and cross-border public transport through to 2035 and beyond. As a key member of the NNW leadership team, Robyn specialises in translating complex multi-modal infrastructure strategies into robust, actionable delivery plans. She is widely recognised for her ability to navigate politically sensitive environments, manage multi-million-pound capital budgets, and cultivate trusted partnerships across the UK and Welsh Governments, Transport for Wales, and regional local authorities. 

Prior to her role with Network North Wales, Robyn built a distinguished career within Network Rail directing critical engineering and innovation portfolios. Her previous leadership of the regional E&P programme delivery team, delivering as part of the £300m+ electrical safety delivery portfolio, introduced the most significant safety upgrades for overhead line work in forty years and pioneered joint infrastructure-rolling stock decarbonisation strategies.

Robyn pairs her technical and delivery success with a deep commitment to workplace culture. She is an active champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including mentoring early-career talent to drive inclusive leadership across the transport sector.