What Moves Us

This episode of What Moves Us welcomes Gregory Meyers, founder of TreeStock and the Rail Innovation Group's newest member. TreeStock builds digital twins of individual trees, using applied AI, lidar drones and satellite imagery to capture species, health, biomass and timber volume across whole forests. For rail, the case is direct. Millions of trees line the network, and a single storm can bring t...

Our year-end episode brings the team together for a quick look back and a clear look ahead. We reflect on how the Skills Beyond Scale work shaped 2025, and we revisit highlights including the Heathrow Express Supplier Challenge and a growing, engaged community. We outline plans for 2026: a milestone year marking the Rail Innovation Group’s tenth anniversary! Featuring the Rail Innovation Group lea...

Liam is joined by friend of the pod, OpenTransport Initiative's Hayden Sutherland, to unpack three fast-moving themes from Rail Live in Madrid. They compare what was promised on stage with what is actually being built, digging into where agentic AI is useful, where it struggles with complex, high-stakes choices, and why good visual UX still beats long conversational lists. The pair link this to th...

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Jones from Heathrow Express—the team behind the 15-minute airport express—to hear how they’re throwing open the doors to new suppliers. Heathrow Express is inviting startups and SMEs to help solve three real-world challenges: easing the pain of staff travel through airport security, showcasing and strengthening the premium passenger experience, and cracking...

In our latest episode, Johannah and Liam are joined by Rail Innovation Group member Pipcall's Johan Gericke and end user Miles Allcock. We dig into the upcoming requirement for trackside verbal communications to be recorded across the supply chain, not just by Network Rail control rooms. Johan explains what the rule means in practice for contractors and suppliers, and how mobile call recording can...

In this episode, we speak with Tara Walsh, Project Manager for the Innovation Acceleration Forum within Network Rail’s Capital Delivery team. Tara shares how the Forum helps streamline the path from promising idea to practical adoption: supporting innovators with open conversations, clear feedback, and guidance through trials, product acceptance, and procurement. We explore how technical and non-t...

In this episode, Johannah and Liam speak with Philip Pozzo di Borgo-Oliver, Managing Partner at Eureka! Europe, a consultancy that helps organisations build the internal capability to innovate—whether they're early-stage start-ups or established corporates. We explore the journey from idea to implementation: how to embed innovation culture across a business, how to overcome or manage projects thro...

In this episode, we speak with Antonio Ribeiro, CEO and Founder of Yurtle, a care-tech startup born from his personal journey as a caregiver. Antonio shares the story behind Yurtle’s creation: a platform designed to support employees when their usual care arrangements with a registered provider, such as a nursery or domiciliary care agency, unexpectedly fall through.   Yurtle helps people stay in...

What Moves Us – Episode 5: Mind the Gap – Where Rail Needs to Innovate In this episode, we explore the innovation gap in rail and ask: will technology meet changing passenger expectations? As behaviours shift, so do the demands on service delivery - but who has the oversight, authority, and appetite to invest in transformative tech? With the rail industry edging toward greater centralisation, coul...

In this fourth instalment of our How to be a Start-Up in Rail series, we dive into the critical material that start-ups need to navigate the rail sector: the challenges, the opportunities, and why there’s never been a more exciting time to get involved. We ask the big question: Is now the moment for start-ups to supply into rail? With a growing recognition from government of the barriers small tec...

In this episode, Deb, Johannah, and Liam discuss the Rail Innovation Group's latest research report, Skills Beyond Scale, which explores the skills landscape within our vibrant community of startups and small digital companies. They highlight the crucial role our members play in driving innovation and shaping the future of rail through cutting-edge technology. Join the conversation as they discuss...

In this episode - the second part of our discussion on the Great British Railways (GBR) foundation consultation, A Railway Fit for Britain's Future) - Liam and Johannah explore their response, breaking down key implications for start ups and innovators in the rail sector. We delve into how innovation and commercial incentives could be prioritised and measured in GBR’s new structure and discuss the...

With the launch of the consultation on the foundation of Great British Railways (A Railway Fit for Britain's Future), we kick off a special series exploring a key question: how to be a start up in rail? Or perhaps more importantly - would you even want to be one? In this episode, Johannah and Liam break down the themes of the consultation document, examining how different structural models and out...

In this episode, Deb Carson and Liam Henderson speak with James Whitelock, Managing Director of ThinkinCircles, about the power of employer branding and how companies can better attract and retain the right talent. As we prepare for our upcoming Skills Beyond Scale report, this conversation is perfectly timed. We explore the perception of rail - does the industry's image need improving before indi...

In our first episode of 2025, hosts Liam and Johannah kick off the year with an exciting conversation about innovation, challenges, and growth. Joining them are Jeremy Bormann, CEO, and Raymon Ceasar, Head of R&D at Legal Pythia, a cutting-edge startup leveraging AI to detect fraud in documents and datasets. This insightful discussion dives into: The diverse, international team behind Legal Py...

In this episode, Jesper Westerberg, Chief Product Officer at Predge, shares insights into the role of predictive maintenance in the rail industry. We discuss how data-driven solutions are transforming maintenance strategies, reducing costs, and improving reliability. Jesper highlights real-world applications, including innovative algorithms for predicting wheel damages and transforming maintenance...

Deb, Johannah & Liam reflect on their experience at InnoTrans 2024, where the world of rail meet in Berlin for networking, demonstrations, conversations and more. We were pleased to see many members of the Rail Innovation Group present to promote how small companies can supply great solutions to support the industry's future.

In this episode Johannah & Liam are joined by Guy Barkley, CEO and Founder of Atmo Technology - our newest member!  To celebrate this new partnership, Guy joined the pod to discuss Atmo’s environmental capabilities and the impact they aim to achieve in the rail industry. This podcast delves into the innovative solutions Atmo offers and their contribution to a sustainable future for rail transp...

In this episode, Johannah, Deb and Liam discuss the first steps taken by the new UK Government to improve and integrate the transport system. With reference to the bills proposed in July 2024's King's Speech. We cover our hopes and anxieties of the new, more comprehensive public transport investment and operational model. We also discuss our most recent thoughtpiece, released in June 2024, Small V...

It's been five years since Johannah and Liam began the podcast. In this episode, they reflect back on some of the milestones from the period, including diverging transport policy in the nations of Britain; the developing - and redeveloping - policy environment; and the impact of all this change  on small companies. All alongside our aspirations for the next five years. They anchor the discussion o...

In today's episode Johannah, Deb and Liam discuss the UK Labour party's proposed rail policy (sounding a little familiar) as well as Johannah's recent trip to the Transport Research Arena conference in Dublin. We also cover whether AI will fool us with its simulated feelings and whether data is helpful in achieving diversity. With questions over who we count as 'the rail industry' and what diversi...

Johannah is flying solo in this episode and had the incredible opportunity to attend the Railway Industry Association's Innovation Conference in Wales, where it was a whirlwind of excitement!  From keynote speeches to tech talks, exhibitor spotlights, and more, there was never a dull moment. In this episode, she'll be chatting with some of old friends and brilliant innovators who are shaping the f...

In this episode, Johannah gives her thoughts on last week's Rail Scotland Conference. Listening in, Liam is joined by friend of the podcast Deb Carson to hear about the conference's themes of climate resilience, passenger experience on an integrated railway and decarbonisation of the rolling stock - all within a cost efficient model. Plenty of opportunities for our most dynamic suppliers!

Liam Henderson & Johannah Randall speak with PassageWay's Chris Johns (10:30) to hear about their realtime digital signs placed in communities to help users understand, interpret and act on multi-modal transport information, displayed in a human-centred way. With references to Nudge Theory, overcoming digital exclusion, and the provision of FREE digital signs funded by TfL. Chris give some ins...

There's an international flavour to the discussion between the Rail Innovation Group's Deb, Johannah and Liam today covering key themes of 2024, and what we've been asked to provide insight on: notably, using data to inform climate resilience and mitigation measures - are our current investment decisions making use of the existing evidence base?   Link to the report Johannah mentions: https://tran...