The George Bradshaw Address

The 2024 George Bradshaw Address: Election special took place on the evening of Tuesday 20 February at One Great George Street, London.

With an election due within the next year, the event took an election special format, offering both main political parties an opportunity to set out their vision for the railway, before taking part in a Q&A facilitated by the chair.

Watch it back: Rail Partners 2024 George Bradshaw Address: Election special

Speakers

Huw Merriman MP
Minister of State for Rail and HS2

Stephen Morgan MP
Shadow Minister of State for Rail

Chaired by

Tamara Cohen
Political Correspondent, Sky News

Tamara Cohen is Political Correspondent at Sky News and has covered all aspects of UK politics for 12 years. She has reported on general elections, referendums, and interviewed key figures including Prime Ministers and members of the cabinet.

Based in Westminster, Tamara reports on and analyses the top breaking political stories across daytime programmes and online. She has also reported from international summits and travelled to see UK forces in Afghanistan.

Photo gallery

The George Bradshaw Address 2023

Click the link for more information on last year's address, delivered by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP.

George Bradshaw 2023

About the George Bradshaw Address

The George Bradshaw Address has been a mainstay of the rail industry calendar since the inaugural address from the then Network Rail Chair, Rick Haythornwaite in 2011. It brings together senior industry leaders to discuss the future of the industry and the challenges it faces and how, together, the industry can sustain and grow the rail network.

The Address is named after George Bradshaw (1800-1853) who was a cartographer and printer, responsible for ‘Bradshaw’s Railway Guides’, which from their publication in 1839, made the railways accessible to more people and revolutionised train travel. They were the first comprehensive timetables and included details like fares, connections, distances – and even tourist information about towns and cities along the routes.

The George Bradshaw Address has previously been delivered by:

(Where speeches are available you can view them by clicking on the link)

2023: Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for Transport
2021-2022: Event paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020: The Rt Hon. the Lord McLoughlin CH
2019: Keith Williams, Chair, Williams Rail Review
2018: Sir Peter Hendy, Chair, Network Rail
2017: Chris Burchell, Managing Director, Arriva, Chair, Rail Delivery Group
2016: Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport
2015: Mark Carne, CEO, Network Rail
2014: No event
2013: Douglas Oakervee CBE, Chair HS2 – Introduced by Lord Andrew Adonis former Secretary of State for Transport
2012: Tim O’Toole, Chair, Rail Delivery Group and CEO of First Group
2011: Rick Haythornwaite, Chair, Network Rail

George Bradshaw (1800-1853)