Paul Maynard MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

Paul Maynard is the Conservative MP for Blackpool North & Cleveleys. He was first elected in 2010 and was returned in both 2015 and 2017. A former member of the Transport Select Committee, a role he undertook until made PPS to Oliver Letwin in 2014, his first of three roles as PPS, the second being Nick Boles, and then Amber Rudd at DECC.

Educated at St. Ambrose College in Trafford, Paul then read history at University College, Oxford leaving with a first class degree. After university Paul had a brief stint as a management consultant before accepting a job working at CCHQ in the Conservative Research Department. Paul then worked for Dr Liam Fox for nine years. During that time Dr Fox held a number of shadow cabinet positions and was Conservative Party Chairman.

In the first Government formed by Mrs May, Paul was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport with responsibility for Rail, Light Rail, Trams, and Cable Cars. Paul kept his portfolio in the post-election reshuffle, with the addition of HS2, but losing Trams.

Outside politics Paul enjoys reading history books, gardening, the Antiques Roadshow, and travelling. Paul is a practising Roman Catholic and a follower of Northwich Victoria FC.

Lilian Greenwood MP (invited)
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Lilian Greenwood was elected on 6th May 2010 to serve as the Labour Member of Parliament for Nottingham South – which covers the wards of Bridge, Clifton North, Clifton South, Dunkirk and Lenton, Leen Valley, Radford and Park, Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey and Wollaton West.

Lilian is determined to stand up for Nottingham South and has already helped secure £60 million of funding to refurbish the city's train station, an extension to Nottingham's tram network and the upgrading of the A453. As well as this, Lilian has worked with local partners to bring the Nottingham Greener HousiNG11 external wall insulation scheme to Clifton, helped secure funding for Decent Homes in Nottingham and has campaigned to bring about regulation of landlords and Homes of Multiple Occupation. In Parliament, Lilian continues to urge the Government to abolish its divisive bedroom tax and has called on the Prime Minister to stand up to the energy companies and get a better deal for ordinary families.

In October 2010, Lilian was asked to take on the position of Assistant Whip, giving her responsibility for organising other Labour MPs when the party votes in the House of Commons and to assist the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions challenge the Coalition Government and hold them to account over their programme of severe cuts.

In October 2011, the Labour Leader asked Lilian to take on a role in the transport team with responsibility for the local transport brief. In January 2013 she switched to the shadow rail brief.

Professor David Begg (Chair)
Chief Executive
Transport Times

Prof David Begg is Chief Executive of Portobello Partnership Ltd which specialises in strategic advice to clients in the transport sector; publishes Transport Times magazine; and runs a series of transport best practice awards in conjunction with the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland and Transport for London.

He is a non-executive board member of Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd and is a member of the Cubic Transportation Systems' Advisory Board.

From 1999 to 2005 he chaired the Government's Commission for Integrated Transport which was set up to advise the Government on transport policy and to monitor performance. He was a board member of Transport for London from 2000 to 2006 before joining Tube Lines as chairman (2006-2010). He was a non-executive director of the Strategic Rail Authority and before that British Rail. From 2005-2014 David was a Non-Executive Director of First Group Ltd.

Before moving to London he was Professor of Transport Policy at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. He is a visiting professor in Transport at Plymouth University. In the 1990s he was the political lead on transport on Lothian Region and then the City of Edinburgh councils.

Graeme Clark
Head of Business Development, Rolling Stock
Siemens Rail Systems UK

Graeme Clark is Head of Business Development, Rolling Stock for Siemens Rail Systems in the UK – a division of Siemens that employs some 700 people nationwide and maintains over 350 passenger trains.

Graeme is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers with over 30 years experience in the rail industry.

He has held senior positions within several other prominent rolling stock manufacturers and has extensive knowledge of the UK rail market.

Phil Heathcote
Sales Director, Rail Systems UK
Siemens plc

Phil Heathcote is Sales Director for Siemens Rail Systems in the UK - a division of Siemens that employs some 700 people nationwide and maintains over 350 passenger trains each day. In total Siemens have over 13,500 employees in the UK. The company's extensive business activities support more than 54,000 jobs in the UK and stimulate the creation of more than £3billion gross value added.

He is responsible for sales and business development strategy for metro, commuter, intercity and high speed rolling stock in the UK. His role will also include relationship management, business development, tendering, major contract negotiations, amendments in new rolling stock, lead negotiations on contracts for maintenance, service, modification and upgrades.

Phil joined Siemens in September 2015 from Arriva UK Trains Limited, where as Bid Director, he led teams responsible for rail franchise Pre-Qualifications (PQs) and Invitations to Tender (ITT). During his time at Arriva, he led the teams responsible for the Caledonian Sleeper and ScotRail bids. Most recently, he was responsible for the leadership of the winning bid to run the Northern franchise.

Before Arriva, Philip held key sales, marketing and delivery roles with Angel Trains, Bombardier and Daimler Chrysler Rail Systems.

Steve Montgomery
Managing Director
UK Rail, First Group

Steve's career in the railway industry spans almost 30 years, during which time he has gained significant experience in all aspects of rail management. He started his working life with British Rail and held various senior posts before becoming Operations and Safety Director at ScotRail, coinciding with FirstGroup taking over the franchise in 2004. He was appointed Managing Director of First ScotRail in 2009. Under his leadership, First ScotRail achieved the highest ever levels of customer satisfaction and punctuality in the franchise's history and won countless awards including Rail Operator of the Year in 2014 and Scottish Public Transport Operator of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.

Tim O'Toole CBE
Chief Executive
FirstGroup

Tim has served as the CEO of FirstGroup since November, 2010. He previously was Managing Director of London Underground and prior to that President and CEO of Consolidated Rail Corporation, a US freight railroad.

Rachael Maskell MP
Shadow Rail Minister

Rachael Maskell was elected as the Member of Parliament for York Central in 2015.

In Parliament, Rachael works hard for her constituents in York, campaigning for a progressive Living Wage, skilled jobs, a sustainable city, affordable housing and to integrate health and social care.

In September 2015, Rachael was appointed as a Shadow Defence Minister for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans and served in this position for nine months before being appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2016.