Technology in Rail 2025

Toufic leads the sectors strategic innovation body to create a more productive, digital railway, offering key insights for suppliers in AI, tech, and digital transformation.

Milla began her railway career in 2005, initially working with Union Railways on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now known as High Speed 1) and then with Network Rail, the railway infrastructure owner and operator for Great Britain. Over the years, Milla has focused on programme controls, planning, scheduling, and integration in the railway industry.  In her current role in Wales & Western Region, Milla is leading initiatives in project data analytics across the capital delivery portfolio.

Milla is a keen volunteer, having supported the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways as a permanent way worker, the Royal Academy of Engineering with project CARE, as well as the Association for Project Management (APM) in a variety of roles. Her work with Network Rail and the Royal Academy of Engineering was recognised with the honour of a British Empire Medal.

Within APM, Milla has been a passionate and active volunteer, joining the Planning, Monitoring & Control interest group in 2014 and becoming the group’s chair in 2016. That same year, Milla was elected as a charity trustee of APM, where she has served on the board committees for Professional Standards & Knowledge, Remunerations, Advocacy & Nominations, and Audit & Assurance. Most recently, in 2022, Milla was elected as the chair of the APM board, where she remained until the end of her nine years on the board in 2025.

In 2024, Milla was also appointed as a Non-Executive Director of GCH Ltd, an independent housing association dedicated to providing affordable homes and building successful communities, where she now serves as Chair of Audit & Assurance Committee.

Milla’s passion is for innovation and lifelong learning; she will either be found working, volunteering, or learning something new.

Craig Evans FCIRO is a seasoned rail operations professional with extensive experience spanning both freight and passenger sectors. As Operations Lead – New Technology Introduction at the Rail Delivery Group, Craig plays a pivotal role in the national rollout of digital rail technologies, including ERTMS. A subject matter expert in ETCS, he has led critical initiatives such as introducing the UK’s first purpose-built freight ETCS full cab simulators and contributed to industry-wide ETCS training, vehicle fitment and standardisation efforts. His background as a train driver, trainer, and simulator manager, combined with a strategic role in shaping digital adoption, gives him unique insight into aligning operational needs with technological advancement, placing human factors and workforce engagement at the heart of innovation.

Susan Millington – Head of Programme Management (Capital Delivery) Network Rail

Susan Millington is a strategic leader in infrastructure delivery, currently serving as Head of Programme Management (Capital Delivery) at Network Rail. With a railway career spanning over 3 decades, Susan has led some of the most ambitious efficiency an innovation programmes in the UK rail sector.   

At the heart of Susan’s work is a commitment to unlocking efficiencies and embedding technology into capital delivery programmes.  Her leadership of the SPEED efficiency programme, which delivered £1.6bn savings during control period 6, saw SPEED become a cornerstone of Network Rail’s approach to smarter delivery – streamlining governance, challenging standards and embedding a mindset of continuous improvement across regional portfolios.  Her work has been instrumental in shaping national reporting frameworks and strategic health checks that drive accountability and performance.

Susan is the architect behind the Innovation Acceleration Forum, a cross industry initiative that empowers suppliers, operators, engineers and programme teams to challenge traditional ways of working with a view to streamlining processes and delivery and embed lessons learnt into future investment strategies.  Her leadership has been instrumental in launching on going technologies aimed at improving site safety and operational co-ordination nationally.

She is a key contributor to a number of steering groups, including the track community of practice – where she continues to champion boots off ballast surveying – her work includes the introduction of RILA and subsequently championing the use of drones.

Susan is a vocal advocate for collaborative working, having chaired panels and working groups that bring together suppliers, delivery teams and policy leads to tackle systemic challenges. Her development of the national lessons learnt framework has helped reduce project overspend by sharing knowledge and best practice across industry capital programmes.

Known for her inclusive leadership and strategic clarity, Susan brings a system thinking approach to programme management, regularly collaborating with the Department of Transport, regional delivery teams and industry partners to align investment with outcomes and ensure that technology adoption is both effective and sustainable.

At the On Track Technology panel, Susan will share her perspective on integrating emerging technologies into legacy infrastructure, fostering cross sector collaboration, and building delivery models that are fit for the future.

Zach Naylor is the Principal Route Engineer (Systems Integration) for Network Rail’s Central Route, based in Birmingham. With over 30 years of experience across engineering, technology, and asset management, Zach currently leads on the integration of business processes and technologies to drive safer, more efficient and cost-effective renewals and maintenance strategies. He is a champion of sustainable engineering, digital innovation, and risk-based decision-making, and plays a key role in shaping the routes CP7 Technology Strategy, aligning it with national programmes and ISO 55000 principles. Zach is passionate about fostering collaboration across disciplines to deliver whole-system outcomes for passengers and freight.

I’m network Rail#’s head of strategy responsible for outlining future business capability, engaging the martket place for innovation and finding partnerships to prove technologies can work in a rail environment.

I have 18 years industry  experience of leading people, process and technology transformation implementation, in areas including areas such as logistics, telecoms, timetabling, major projects and Network Rail regional businesses.